Professional Development

Ann Panopio, formerly a Project Manager at UrbanWorks, has been promoted to Studio Director/Project Architect. As Studio Director, she coordinates, manages and mentors the staff, ensuring projects are collaborative. She is focused on project teams delivering exemplary work. As Project Architect, she continues to work directly on the design, production and delivery of our wide-ranging projects, identifying innovative solutions to complex design solutions. Congratulations, Ann! Read more

We are thrilled to share that Patricia Saldaña Natke joins two new business clubs: the Chicago Network and the Economic Club of Chicago. The Chicago Network is an organization of Chicago’s most distinguished professional women. Patricia joins roughly 400 members of leading women of Chicago’s business, professional, cultural, nonprofit and educational communities. The Economic Club of Chicago fosters connections among Chicago leaders to encourage dialogue on important economic and social issues.

UrbanWorks’ Vice President, Robert Natke, recently joined the Higher Education Subcommittee for AIA’s Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE). Rob brings over ten years of experience in directing design, construction and planning departments at several Chicago area major private universities to this AIA National Committee. The mission of this group is multifold; to develop a knowledge sharing network of individuals making a significant contribution to the design and planning of higher education projects; to create programming to foster collaboration between members; to develop webinars exploring issues on current trends; and to generate presentations and programming for annual AIA meetings.

Maria Pellot of UrbanWorks has achieved a career milestone by passing her planning certification exam. She joins an elite membership of approximately 15,000 professional planners worldwide that hold AICP certification. The exam and certification is managed by the American Institute of Certified Planners, the professional institute of the American Planning Association. AICP certified planners stand out within the planning profession for meeting rigorous standards and maintaining their expertise through continuing education and serving community interests. Passing the AICP exam is the final step in earning the status of a certified planner. To take the exam, individuals must fulfill a series of requirements including education and job experience. “Achieving AICP certification is not easy and requires a high level of personal and professional commitment,” said Felicia Braunstein, director of Professional Development for the American Planning Association. “The certification demonstrates an individual’s credibility and knowledge, and serves as a standard for the planning profession.” Certified planners bring extra value to their employers and community, demonstrating a higher level of leadership, education and professionalism. As a certified planner, individuals are required to operate in a professional manner and uphold a code of ethics. APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, are dedicated to advancing the art, science and profession of good planning — physical, economic, and social — so as to create communities that offer better choices for where and how people work and live. The American Institute of Certified Planners provides recognized leadership nationwide in the certification of professional planners, ethics, professional development, planning education, and the standards of planning practice. For more information, visit www.planning.org.