Former Leelanau County Planning and Community Development Director Trudy Galla recently was awarded one of the highest honors attainable in her industry: election to the American Institute of Certified Planners College of Fellows (FAICP).
In an email to the county board of commissioners thanking them for support in her application to the FAICP, Galla said she received official notification of her election on Feb. 14.
“I’m so thankful to all those who have supported me throughout the years – in Leelanau County, the organizations and individuals around the state and country, and now my new employer, Fishbeck. I’ve always enjoyed the challenges and successes (of) working with so many communities and individuals to further their programs and projects,” she said.
Galla said she will be formally inducted to the FAICP at this year’s National Planning Conference, to be held on April 13-16 in Minneapolis. Members eligible for possible acceptance into the FAICP are reviewed every two years, with the next round of inductions to be held in 2026. Galla was one of 33 American Institute of Certified Planners members accepted into the FAICP this year.
According to data provided by Galla, just 745 planners have been accepted into the FAICP in the last 25 years. As of July, 637 are living members. The relatively exclusive membership testifies to the significance of the appointment.
Fellows of AICP are nominated and selected by their peers to recognize and honor their outstanding contributions as a professional planner, according to the American Planning Association website.
As mentioned above, Galla was also recently hired by Fishbeck, a civil engineering company with regional offices in Traverse City. Galla said that as of Monday, her new employer is still working on a media release announcing that she has joined their consulting firm.
The Leelanau County board of commissioners approved the promotion of Interim Planning Director Gail Meyer to planning director at their regular session Tuesday night. According to county board documents, Meyer’s appointment is based on her successful interim planning director 60-day assessment of ability and a collective letter of support from the county planning commission.
