President Michele Delisfort Represents Chapter at NPC

APA New Jersey Chapter President Michele Delisfort recently represented the Chapter at the American Planning Association’s National Planning Conference (NPC26), the premier gathering of planning professionals from across the country. Held in Detroit, Michigan, the conference brought together thousands of planners, community leaders, educators, and public officials to share innovative ideas, explore emerging trends, and advance the future of the planning profession.

As part of the conference, Michele participated in the Chapter Presidents Council and legislative leadership meetings, where leaders from APA chapters nationwide exchanged best practices, discussed advocacy priorities, and explored strategies to strengthen the planning profession at the local, state, and national levels. These conversations provided valuable opportunities to learn from peers across the country while highlighting the innovative work taking place in New Jersey.

Michele also shared updates on Plan4HealthNJ, APA New Jersey’s landmark initiative supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The project is developing a model public health element, planning toolkits, mapping resources, and other tools to help communities better integrate health considerations into local planning and decision-making. The initiative generated significant interest among chapter leaders seeking new approaches to advancing health, equity, and community resilience through planning.

A major topic of discussion throughout the conference was housing, including strategies to accelerate housing production, expand affordability, and address barriers to development. Housing acceleration remains a key priority for APA New Jersey, and Michele welcomed the opportunity to learn from successful approaches being implemented in communities across the country. Conference programming included a dedicated focus on housing challenges and solutions, reflecting the importance of this issue nationwide.

“As I begin my term as Chapter President, I am excited to build relationships with planning leaders from across the country and bring new ideas back to New Jersey,” said Delisfort. “Our Chapter has an ambitious agenda ahead, including finalizing a comprehensive bylaws modernization effort, advancing Plan4HealthNJ, and delivering what promises to be our biggest and best New Jersey Planning and Redevelopment Conference yet. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent APA New Jersey and look forward to serving our members in the years ahead.”

The connections, ideas, and best practices shared at the National Planning Conference will help inform the Chapter’s work as it continues to advocate for strong planning, healthy communities, housing solutions, and professional excellence throughout New Jersey.