August 14, 2008

Plant City Man Named to APA Committee

CHICAGO — Plant City, Florida, resident Gary Sears has been appointed to the American Planning Association's (APA) Planning Officials Committee. The appointment was made by APA President Robert Hunter, the Executive Director of the Hillsborough City-County Planning Commission.

APA is a 44,000 member organization committed to promoting better communities through good planning. The Planning Officials Committee is an appointment-only committee of representatives nationwide that advocate for and help educate planning officials. The committee is chaired by APA Board member Debra March from Henderson, Nevada.

"I'm honored to be selected to serve on the APA Planning Officials Committee," Sears said. "This is a great opportunity for me to connect with other planning board members from around the country."

Sears has served on the Plant City Planning Board for more than 13 years. He served as board chair for five years and vice-chair for six. He was recently re-elected as the vice-chair.

A resident of Plant City for more than 27 years, Sears enjoys being involved in the community. "I take pride in my community and take pride driving down our streets knowing I've played a role in shaping the city," he said.

Originally from Oswego, New York, Sears served on the Oswego Planning Board for six years and was appointed by the governor of New York to the St. Lawrence Lake Ontario Commission to oversee use and permitting on the waterways in western upstate New York.

Sears worked in the auto industry as a dealer and manager before retiring three years ago. He now dedicates his time to local organizations and charities such as chairing the local election board and serving as a director of a local food bank.

Contacts

Roberta Rewers, APA, 312-786-6395; rrewers@planning.org

Tony LaColla, Hillsborough County-City Planning Commission, 813-273-3774 x 350; lacollaa@plancom.org