2026 APA Nebraska Chapter Update: What We’ve Accomplished and What’s Ahead

It has been an active and impactful year for the APA Nebraska Chapter! From successful events and advocacy efforts to professional development and fresh communication channels, our volunteer-led committees have been hard at work serving our planning community across the state.

Here is a look at what our committees have accomplished, what we are currently working on, and how you can get involved.

Administration / Financial Committee

Our organizational foundation is stronger than ever thanks to several key governance and operational improvements completed this year.

• By-Laws Update: Chapter By-Laws have been updated and reformatted to better align with National APA standards. Look out for a membership vote coming soon!

• 2025 National APA Grants Completed: We successfully finalized three major projects funded by National APA grants:

  • Development of new Youth Outreach tools and programming.

  • Hiring of an administrative assistant to support chapter operations.

  • Implementation of new financial management and budgeting tools.

• Quad State Conference: Worked extensively alongside the Quad State Planning Team to coordinate and promote this regional event.

• Financial Health: As of October 8, 2026, the chapter maintains a healthy account balance of $60,519.48.

Outreach Committee

The Outreach Committee continues to focus on growing our community and strengthening connections across disciplines. Current focus areas include:

• Mentorship & SPAN Coordination: Fostering professional growth and peer connections through structured student and career mentorship programs.

• Youth Engagement: Inspiring the next generation of planners by introducing young people to the impact of planning in their communities.

• Allied Professional Engagement: Building cross-disciplinary partnerships with architects, engineers, and civic leaders to strengthen regional collaboration.

• Membership & Volunteer Recruitment: Expanding our network and building a vibrant, active planning community by welcoming new members and committee volunteers.

Events Committee

The Events Committee hosted a diverse lineup of social, educational, and active networking opportunities throughout the year:

• Pints with Planners: Regular in-person socials held across the state.

• Pedaling with Planners: Group bike rides connecting members outdoors.

• Planners at Play: Casual board game gathering for friendly competition.

• ASLA Collaboration: A joint networking event and celebration of the UNL planning program alongside our landscape architecture colleagues.

• Virtual Book Club: Hosted virtual discussions throughout the year.

• Upcoming: We are partnering with Booked on Planning to feature virtual lunchtime programming!

Communications Committee

We’ve made major strides this past year to streamline our outreach and keep our membership connected and informed.

• Dedicated Email Addresses: Established chapter and committee-specific email accounts to make reaching out easier than ever.

• Website Updates: Maintained regular updates to the chapter website so you always have access to current resources and news.

• Active Social Media: Enhanced our regular posting schedule across social channels.

• Newsletter Refresh: Redesigned and updated our newsletter format to better deliver the information you care about.

• Consistent Collaboration: Held monthly committee meetings to keep our outreach strategy moving forward.

• Coming Soon! Membership Survey: We will soon be launching a chapter-wide survey to evaluate current membership benefits and learn how you engage with the chapter. Your feedback will help guide our future programs!

Legislative & Advocacy Committee

Our legislative team continues to ensure Nebraska planners have a strong voice at both the state and federal levels.

• Planners Day at the Capitol: Hosted a joint event with ASLA in January to advocate for sound planning practices.

• Federal Advocacy: Represented Nebraska at the APA Legislative Fly-In in Washington, D.C. this past September.

• National Chapter Collaboration: Attending the State Legislative Summit for Chapters in Little Rock this December.

• Ongoing Committee Activities: Continually active with bill tracking, member updates, and ongoing legislative advocacy at both state and national levels.

Awards & Accreditation Committee

2026 has been a landmark year for celebrating planning excellence and advancing professional development across Nebraska!

• 2026 Nebraska Planning Awards: Celebrated 9 outstanding award winners at our annual awards banquet held during the Nebraska Planning Conference (NEPC).

• Regional Jury Service: Our chapter served as the Nebraska jury reviewing submissions for the APA Iowa Awards.

• Certification Maintenance (CM) Credits: Offered a total of 77.5 CM credits in Nebraska throughout 2026, including 55 credits at NEPC alone!

• AICP Milestone: Welcomed two new AICP members in Nebraska, alongside a overall increase in scheduled AICP exam activity state-wide.

• Coming Soon! We are excited to introduce a Chapter AICP Exam Scholarship to support members pursuing certification. Stay tuned for details!

Get Involved!

APA Nebraska thrives on the dedication of our members. If you are interested in joining a committee or getting involved with any of the initiatives listed above, please reach out to the chapter or email [email protected].