APA Awards Gala May 15, 2009

The Planning Achievement Award—Academic went to Amy Fauria, SJSU, for "Do CBD redevelopment investments have a positive influence on surrounding neighborhoods?" Amy also received a Graduating Student Merit Award from the California Planning Foundation

Distinguished Leadership Award—Student Planner went to Taryn Hanano, here flanked by Northern Section Director Darcy Kremin and Awards juror Mark Caughey

APA California Northern Section Director Darcy Kremin hosted the ceremonies

Alina Kwak and Henry Servin, producers, hold the Media Award for the documentary film "La Pulga: San Jose's Flea Market"

Benicia community development director Charlie Knox holds the Neighborhood Planning Award, flanked by Benicia mayor Elizabeth Patterson and Daniel Parolek, Opticos Design, for the Downtown Benicia Mixed Use Master Plan and Form-Based Code

Holding the Education Project Award for the San Mateo SMART Public Outreach and Climate Change Campaign is Christina Gilmore, City of San Mateo, flanked by PMC's Mary Hewitt and Sarah Arvidson.

L to R: Norman Wong, Kimley Horn and formerly with Fehr & Peers, Inc., where he worked on the Milpitas Transit Area Plan (Comprehensive Planning Award - Small Jurisdiction). Nicole Hervol, Meghan Mitman, and Matthew Ridgway (Best Practices Award to Fehr & Peers, Inc., for The California Pedestrian Safety Assessments Program)

Victoria Eisen (Eisen | Letunic) and Janet Stone (San Mateo County Department of Housing) holding the Focused Issue Planning Award of Merit for "Filling in the Gaps: How Cities in San Mateo County Can Promote Infill Housing"

Andrew Hyder, Katherine Melcher, and Milton Marks (Urban Ecology) receiving the Focused Issue Planning Award for the East Bay Greenway Concept Plan from juror Larry Tong.

Alexander Brennan and Seth Adams, winners of CPF Continuing Student Scholarships

Eugene Waddell, San Francisco State University, received the California Planning Roundtable/Richard G. Munsell Scholarship

Tessa Munekiyo received a Graduating Student Merit Award from the California Planning Foundation

CPF Northern Section Awards were presented by Hing Wong (center) to Dennis Freeman, SJSU, and M. Cherry R. G. Ordonez, UC Berkeley

Rajeev Bhatia (Dyett & Bhatia), Suzanne Drolet, and Sheila Bhatia toast the Milpitas Transit Area Specific Plan, winner of the Comprehensive Planning Award—Small Jurisdiction

Northern News Associate Editor Mika Miyasato

AICP Fellows John Hirten, a former executive director of APA and SPUR's first executive director, and Naphtali Knox, editor of APA California's Northern News

Charlie Knox, Marian Knox, Naphtali Knox, and Benicia mayor Elizabeth Patterson listen as Knox senior receives a surprise "special recognition of excellence" for four years of editorship of APA California's Northern News

Christy Tao, Riad Elbdour, Co-Awards Director Eileen Whittey, and Sheara Cohen made sure no one got past the door without a name tag and a meal ticket

Charlie Knox (CDD director, Benicia) and Northern Section Director Darcy Kremin

Education Project Award for the San Mateo SMART Public Outreach and Climate Change Campaign: Mary Hewitt, PMC; Awards juror Christina Ratcliffe; Christina Gilmore, City of San Mateo; Sarah Arvidson, PMC.

Christy Tao and Frank Rusch with Alina Kwak, among the recipients of the Media Award recipient for "La Pulga: San Jose's Flea Market"

Hanson Hom, Section Director Elect, and Dr. Don Bradley, AICP Coordinator for APA California Northern

Valerie Termini and Michael McCormick, PMC, Section Communications Director

Victoria Eisen, Eisen | Letunic, among the recipients of the Focused Issue Planning Award of Merit for "Filling in the Gaps: How Cities in San Mateo County can Promote Infill Housing"

Marian Knox

Awards juror Earl Bossard, Allen Tai (Administration Director, APA California Northern), Dayana Salazar (SJSU), and Asha Agrawal

Robert Dusenbury, Sherwood Design Engineers, among the recipients of the Innovation in Green Community Planning Award for "The San Mateo County Sustainable Green Streets and Parking Lots Design Handbook"

Northern Section Co-Awards Director Eileen Whittey

Awards Jury Coordinator Alex Amoroso, Terry Blount, and Mark Rhoades, with Victoria Eisen, Eisen | Letunic, recipient of the Focused Issue Planning Award of Merit for "Filling in the Gaps: How Cities in San Mateo County can Promote Infill Housing"

Jillian Rich, PMC, one of the recipients of the Innovation in Green Community Planning Award of Merit for the 2009 San Carlos Climate Action Plan

This award was presented at the top of the awards program May 15th, but the certificate is being formally presented here by Hanson Hom, Director Elect, and Darcy Kremin, Section Director, to Naphtali Knox, in "Recognition of Excellence for his ongoing outstanding contributions and tireless efforts as Editor of Northern News. Under his direction, Northern News has improved its quality and design exponentially, is extremely relevant, is ‘green’ in its distribution, presents interesting topics, and contains factual, objective and balanced articles on cutting-edge planning, urban design, and legislative issues." July 1, 2009.