About
Our Chapter The Tennessee Chapter
The Tennessee Chapter of the American Planning Association helps carry out the mission of the APA for planning professionals who live and work in the Volunteer State. Officially founded in 1979, hundreds of members from the peaks near Mountain City to the river bluffs of Memphis work together to advance the planning profession in our state.
Our Chapter is guided by a five year strategic plan that was adopted on October 6th, 2021 by the Executive Board. This strategic plan lays out our mission, structure, sections, and goals. It serves as the blueprint for future actions taken by our organization.
Mission and Goals
Our mission is to provide professional leadership and resources for the development of inclusive, livable communities across Tennessee by providing up-to-date training programs on current planning issues, professional development opportunities, and advocating for a highly qualified and diverse network of professional planners.
Our strategic plan calls for four goals for our organization. For a full list of the objectives each goal has, please see our strategic plan.
Goal 1: Promote Effective Planning And Support For Planning In Tennessee
Goal 2: Promote Professional Development Among Tennessee Planners
Goal 3: Promote the Growth of the Tennessee APA Chapter
Goal 4: Celebrate Great Planning in Tennessee
TAPA Sections
As anyone who has ever had to drive across it can attest to, Tennessee is a long state; it's 557 miles from Trade Gap to the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge. Due to its diversity and length, TAPA is broken up into five sections across the State. Each section has its own Director, Vice Director, Treasury, and Secretary. These sections are responsible for planning local events in their section of the State. Below are the five sections of TAPA:
West Tennessee (including Memphis and Jackson)
Middle Tennessee (including Nashville)
Chattanooga
Knoxville
State of Franklin (including Tri-Cities)
Map of the five sections of TAPA
To contact your local section director, please see the Chapter Leadership page.
TAPA Executive Board
The Board is responsible for organizing statewide TAPA events such as our annual planning conferences, awards ceremonies, social happy hours, volunteer opportunities, and CM & AICP training. The board also promotes planning in the community and encourages professional development within the industry. You can see who serves on the Executive Board here.
History
The Tennessee Chapter of the American Planning Association dates back to 1979 when the American Institute of Planners merged with the American Society of Planning Officials. Read more here.
Join TAPA
If you're interested in planning in Tennessee, you should become a member of TAPA. Already over 500 members strong, our organization would love to have you be a part of it. We offer two ways to join: a stand-alone Tennessee Chapter only membership, as well as a membership with APA National as well.