Susan McGarry, AICP
Principal Planner
|
Contact: (772) 713-3081 |
Ms. McGarry has over twenty (20) years of professional experience working with local governments and communities on high-profile planning projects involving extensive community participation programs. Her areas of expertise include comprehensive planning, community visioning efforts, corridor planning and neighborhood planning. Ms. McGarry has extensive project management experience coordinating multi-disciplinary planning studies addressing diverse growth issues. These projects required detailed technical reports that assessed environmental, visual, and historic resources, land use alternatives, economic forecasting, public infrastructure impacts and urban design. She achieved widespread support among community leaders, elected officials and competing interest groups as a result of her thorough efforts during the public review and adoption process. Prior to joining Iler Planning Group, Ms. McGarry served as Land Steward in Islamorada (Florida Keys) where she directed the public land acquisition program which involved site evaluation, grant preparation, and establishment of a public education program. She was credited with helping to win a $4.7 million Florida Communities Trust grant award (2006) to acquire a waterfront site for conservation, recreation and historic interpretation. As a City Commissioner in Key Colony Beach, Florida, Ms. McGarry served as vice mayor and intergovernmental affairs coordinator, learning first-hand the difficult challenges faced by elected officials. As owner of her own consulting firm, Ms. McGarry served clients including the City of Key West and Ocean Reef Club. Projects involved preparation of comprehensive plan and land development regulation amendments. She was a volunteer facilitator for the Monroe County Liveable Communi-Keys planning initiative on Big Pine Key. Ms. McGarry holds a Master’s Degree in Urban and Environmental Planning and a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Studies, both from the University of Virginia. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Her dedication and hard work have earned eight professional awards from the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association (VAPA) and the National Association of Counties (NaCo). |
