11/18/09
Part I: Interview Questions for William Mackey (my mentor)
1. In order to stay current in the field of planning, what articles, books, or sites do you read?
I read APA (American Planning Association) published journals, specific research articles, and Planning, the regular publication from APA. I also make presentations to APA to help me go out and research.
2. Do you do research, or is most of your work analysis, or is it something else?
I do independent study outside of work. I often go to the Columbia archives to do some independent study. As a planner, I constantly have to go out and research. In the profession there is a requirement for continuing education (32 hours of research or case studies or ethics and law, there is in-house training for leadership chapter in Maryland from American Planning Association.
3. After the Downtown Columbia revitalization proposal came out, is that what you find yourself mostly working on? What did you find yourself working on before that? What are the projects that always happen?
Only a few months after I came into the Howard County Department of Planning, I started working on the Downtown proposal. I am now put in charge of the project. It is my main responsibility. I am Downtown Columbia Division Chief, I manage 5 people. I have oversight over every project and also work on projects with Route 1, Route 40, and Oakland Mills. I supervise year-to-year capital budget review recommendations to the planning board based on new capital projects legislative review of all proposed laws to assembly facilitate process. Also, I work with budget and public works.
4. As a planner, when do you get the opportunity to express your opinions? When do you have to compromise?
I get the opportunity all the time, but it depends how I expresses my feelings. Oftentimes I stand behind the official county position, part of the big organization, but I am still able to express opinions formally or informally. Few times I work on my own, but usually I work on a team. My opinions presented are really the group’s opinion that becomes my own.
5. What do you find most difficult about planning? What do you enjoy most about planning?
The hardest thing is the demanding schedule. I work sometimes on Saturdays and sometimes on holidays. I work up to midnight sending emails. The higher up the person goes as a planner the more sacrifices he has to make.
6. Have you been involved in the private sector with planning? If so, how does it differ; if not have you heard what is different?
My only private sector work was one man work in graduate school. From what I have heard and seen, it’s more financially rewarding, but much more risky. During unstable times lots of people are fired. It’s much more mobile and less predictable.
7. Planning can be a long process, so how do you combat frustration when things are not going to plan/ how often do things not go how they are planned?
I am used to it. There are short-term parts to long-term plans, which eases frustration. All in all, creating published documents is very rewarding. Getting to see construction that you planned like the Oakland Mills Village Center streetscape project frequently does not go to plan that is why we have to monitor all of our plans.
8. How does the policy of Smart Growth factor into planning, are there any other big policies which affect decisions in planning? Who makes these policies?
Policies are ultimately by elected officials. Smart Growth permeates in every decision. Everything they do relates; it’s ubiquitous.
9. Can you describe the interactions you have in different positions as a planner such as you being a director and Randy being a GIS specialist?
I started as a city planner, which is the entry-level position and that was for about nine years. Then I became Director of Planning and Zoning where I went to New Hampshire. Four years ago, I moved to Columbia, started off as a planning supervisor and am now in a chief position. I notice the higher up I go, the more work it is, the more meetings you attend, and the more emails you get.
Part II:
My interview went well. I learned a lot about the positions as planners and the work he gets. I learned about how he stays on top of his field. Overall it went pretty well. I felt I should have asked more about what planners do and less about what he thinks and likes about planning. Interviewing was the easy part; I felt trying to create the questions was the hardest part. Overall I feel that the interview went well.