Webinar Details:
Inspired by emerging workforce realities across the planning profession, this APA Career Catalyst webinar explores succession planning at a moment of heightened urgency. As baby boomers retire, workloads increase, and trends of high staff turnover and hiring shortages continue, many organizations find themselves promoting staff to leadership because of necessity, rather than readiness. Public agencies and private firms alike are grappling with the same question: how do we build leadership pipelines that preserve institutional knowledge, develop critical thinking, and avoid burnout—especially when experience and mastery take time?
This panel will examine succession planning as a leadership development and staff retention strategy. Drawing from real-world experiences across regions and sectors, panelists will discuss the difference between executive and mid-level succession planning, the risks of “artificial growth,” and how strong managers—not just strong planners—shape successful transitions. The conversation will explore practical tools, such as skills matrices and competency frameworks, and discuss key approaches, including onboarding with succession in mind, mentorship focused on relational intelligence, and career pathways that create belonging, even in flat or resource-constrained organizations.
Join us for a candid discussion about slowing down—making space for learning, failure, and self-discovery—while still meeting today’s staffing demands. Panelists will also address structural barriers such as pensions, cost of living, and geographic isolation, and how leaders can plan for inevitable turnover while strengthening culture and trust. Ultimately, this session reframes succession planning as an act of alignment: helping planners identify their “north star,” supporting growth that is purposeful rather than rushed, and ensuring planning organizations are prepared for both leadership transitions and the future of the profession.
Panelists:
- Jill Lawhorne, AICP | Director of Community Development, City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska
- Emily Liu, FAICP | Director of Planning & Development, City of Dallas, Texas
- Robert McHaney, AICP CTP | Chief of Integrated Planning, The Goodman Corp
- Moderated by Elizabeth Dickson, AICP | Principal Planner, Dudek