Henry Bittaker, FAICP (Candidate for Vice-President of Professional Development)
Professional Experience:
Senior Policy Coordinator/Senior Planner with South Florida Water Management District (14 years) – Retired, 2011
Administrator/Planner with the Department of Community Affairs (14 years)
1995 – DCA/DEM Hurricane Season Commendation
1992 – Governor and Cabinet of Florida Distinguished Service Award (Hurricane Andrew)
1991, 1986, 1984 – Governor of Florida Letters of Commendation
28 years of experience in growth management and environmental planning at the state and regional levels
Educational Background:
M.S. Oceanography (Florida State University)
B.A. Biology/Physics (Kalamazoo College)
1971 Bzdyl Prize in Marine Biology
APA Florida/APA Experience:
2003 – 2022: Professional Development Officer, Treasure Coast Section APA Florida
2014 – 2018; 2020 - 2022: Vice President for Professional Development, APA Florida Chapter
2009 – 2014: Vice President for Certification Maintenance, APA Florida Chapter
2017-2020 APA Chapter Presidents Council (CPC) 2020 AICP Exam Study Guide Team
2015-2021 – APA AICP Exam Application Peer Reviewer
2013-2014 – APA AICP Exam Prep 3.0 Work Group
2012 – APA Smart Growth Policy Guide Task Force
2011-2018 (years vary) – Florida APA Delegate on APA Policy Guides
APA and APA Florida Awards & Honors
2020 – Induction into AICP College of Fellows (FAICP), following nomination by the APA Florida Chapter (for AICP Exam volunteer activities and growth-management & environmental professional planning efforts at the state and regional levels)
2011 – APA/CPC National Volunteer Chapter Leadership Award (AICP Exam Preparation)
2005 – APA Florida President’s Award for Outstanding Service to the Chapter (AICP Exam Web-based Training Efforts)
2001 – APA Florida Award of Excellence (Palm Beach County Agricultural Reserve Master Plan; Co-Project Manager/SFWMD)
Palm Beach County Planning Congress (PBCPC) Award
2022 – PBCPC Award (for AICP exam training efforts), including the associated establishment of a new AICP Exam Scholarship program
Position Statement
Over the past 19 years, I have been intensively involved in the training and professional development of planners at the section, state and national levels. I was a National APA Peer Reviewer for the AICP Exam application; was part of the 12 faculty developing APA’s web-based AICP Exam National 3.0 Study Guide; and was recently involved with the development of the Fall 2020 CPC Exam Study Guide that replaced it. I have previously worked with APA and the Florida Chapter’s Sections to promote the development and promotion of no or low-cost CM educational opportunities for AICP Planners, while developing my own set of free AICP Exam Prep web-based study materials that are recommended and used for AICP exam preparation across the country. The twice-yearly, 10-15 week AICP Exam Study Group sessions that I run are freely available to all remote and exam preparers either live or through a dropbox site. These efforts have received both APA-Florida and APA national award recognition and have successfully trained over 850 new AICP planners.
I will work on four main areas of focus as the Chapter’s Professional Development Officer. FIRST: Assist the Chapter’s planners to effectively prepare for the new, 2022 AICP Exam process by providing new statewide materials and study sessions based on my extensive experience at both the state and national levels. SECOND: Coordinate with the VP for Certification Maintenance to ensure the availability of a wide variety of continuing educational opportunities for all planners which are local, affordable or available at no-cost. THIRD: Improve the opportunities for high-value remote learning through webinars and other media. FOURTH: Continue to effectively work with National APA staff, APA Board members and AICP Commission members to resolve emerging and existing AICP exam training and AICP certification issues.