Certified planners now can get continuing education from WWU

Local certified planners seeking to further their education can now consider courses hosted by Western Washington University.

Western Washington University in February wrapped up a well-received continuing-education course for planners registered with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). AICP's Certification Maintenance program helps planners gain the knowledge and skills they need to remain current in the practice of planning.

AICP members are required to engage in mandatory continuing education. This requirement affirms the importance of remaining current in the practice of planning and demonstrating professional credibility through continuing education.

AICP members must earn 32 Certificate Maintenance credits within their two-year reporting period; a minimum of 1.5 credits must be on the topic of ethics and another 1.5 credits must be on the topic of current planning law.

On Feb. 24, Nicholas Zaferatos and Jean Melious, faculty members within WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment, held an AICP-approved Certificate Maintenance course for AICP planners titled, “How Washington State Law Shapes Planning”. The course provided information on Planning for Rural Areas and Impact Fees and Nexus Requirements. The course ran from 7-8:30 p.m. with more than 50 people in attendance.

“It was a well received and successful effort. We had a nice mix of professional planners, including 12-15 former graduates from the Huxley program who are now working as professionals in the region, in addition to elected and appointed officials, local developers and lawyers, state planners, and planners with private firms, and a few students,” said Zaferatos.

Participants came from as far as Olympia, many from the Seattle area, some from Skagit County, and approximately 30 from Whatcom County.

Nicholas Zaferatos will teach the second course in the professional development series on Planning Ethics in November.

WWU’s professional continuing education courses are offered through WWU’s Extended Education and Summer Programs. For information about future offerings, visit the Web www.ExtendedEd.wwu.edu or contact eesp@wwu.edu or (360) 650-3308.