Welcome Keynote Craig Bennett Mr. Bennett is a seasoned speaker with over 35 years of experience in the civil engineering, planning, and consulting fields. He has been involved with a range of project types including single-family and multi-family residential subdivisions, park and recreational trails, master campus planning, data center site design, and retail, commercial, and industrial developments. His years of experience in planning include interpreting, modifying, and writing zoning regulations, as well as assisting with annexation, zoning, and comprehensive plans for clients and land development projects. Mr. Bennett has assisted many communities and private developers with subdivision concept planning, layouts, and site selection. |
Conference Keynote Petra Hurtado, PhD Petra (Stieninger) Hurtado is the Research Director at the American Planning Association, heading APA’s research team, programs, and related initiatives. Her areas of expertise and research include sustainable planning practices; smart cities; nature-based solutions; environmental psychology; planning and equity; and integration of technology, community, and nature. Prior to joining APA, Petra worked as an advisor, planner, researcher, and educator in the global urban sustainability arena. She has a Ph.D. in urban planning from the Vienna University of Technology, where she teaches on urban sustainability and environmental psychology. Additionally, she has been a guest lecturer at Loyola University Chicago and the Universidad Tecnologica de Bolivar, Colombia. Petra has authored and co-authored multiple books, research papers, publicly funded reports, and articles and has presented as a subject matter expert at numerous conferences around the globe. |
