posted on: 06/17/2014
Dover City Planner Steve Bird was named 2014 Professional Planner of the Year by the New Hampshire Planners Association, on Thursday, June 4, at an annual conference in Durham.
"I am very honored to have received this award,” Bird said. “I am proud of the high quality planning that we have in Dover. It feels great when I hear people talk about how much Dover has improved over the years.”
The New Hampshire Planner’s Association (NHPA) award annually recognizes one professional planner from New Hampshire for leadership, innovation, and commitment to community involvement through planning initiatives. The NHPA promotes, assists, and supports the professional planner in the goal of achieving planning excellence to improve the quality of life today and tomorrow in New Hampshire’s communities.
Bird’s nomination forms, submitted by Dover resident and fellow planner Jack Mettee, recognized Bird for his attention to detail, his dedication to public service, his ability to communicate plans and the communities vision to planners, and the public with ease, respect and a strong depth of knowledge.
Bird’s nomination and recognition was also based upon his passion for open space protection that has helped the Conservation Commission and Open Lands Committee preserve 800 acres of land in Dover.
Dover’s Director of Planning and Community Development, Christopher Parker, noted that Bird is an example of being part of the community you plan for.
“This is Steve’s community and he plans based upon that intimate knowledge,” Parker said. Bird has lived in Dover for 30 years, and has raised two children in the community. “Steve not only is an employee of the community, but he is an active member of the community. He has coached baseball, volunteered with various civic groups, and has been a great envoy of the City, and planning, to the Community.”
The NHPA selection committee recognized that Bird understands the issue – planning and otherwise – that have faced Dover residents and property owners and he is able to speak about them from a position of knowledge and experience, and can relate as a neighborhood resident. He brings professionalism, as well as a wealth of knowledge to the table on many of the issues facing Dover and New Hampshire.
Bird has been a Dover city employee since 1997, where he has provided oversight to the city's land use office, staff support for conservation projects and has been the staff support to the Cochecho waterfront redevelopment. He is continually attending planning seminars, courses and meetings to ensure the Garrison City is up-to-date on the most recent planning and development efforts.
"Having Steve recognized for his professionalism and his community minded personality by his New Hampshire peers is a reflection on the professionalism and commitment he delivers to the Dover community day in and day out," said City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr. "The Dover community has positively benefited from his ability to engage our citizenry in the development and application of a comprehensive approach to community planning."
The New Hampshire Planner’s Association has recognized Dover’s Planning efforts twice before. In 2010, the City’s Form Based Code project for downtown Dover, was recognized as the Project of the Year, and in 2011, Director of Planning and Community Development Christopher Parker was recognized as the Professional Planner of the Year.
