Featured Planner - David Heinold, Minnehaha County, South Dakota

By Megan Nelms, WP Board Treasurer

⦁ Describe your current job. Please include your title and years of service.

As Planner II for six-and-a-half years with the Minnehaha County Planning & Zoning Department, I have been involved in the day-to-day administration of the county zoning ordinance which governs areas outside of the eleven incorporated municipalities. There is constant contact with current as well as future residents and landowners. The county does not have jurisdiction in any of the incorporated municipalities. The planning area is primarily agricultural farmland with a few residential acreages and older housing subdivisions scattered in certain locations within the county. The total unincorporated land area is approximately 810 square miles that we conduct zoning enforcement and respond to citizen complaints.

⦁ What did you want to be when you grew up? How did you get into the planning profession? Describe your planning background and education.

I grew up in La Porte, Indiana where originally I had the dream of becoming an architect to design houses. In addition to playing soccer and swimming, drawing was a hobby that I enjoyed because it gave me the opportunity to express myself in my early grade school years. My two older brothers, pictured at right, and parents were a huge encouragement in these hobbies that turned to professional skills. I spent most the following years taking classes in drawing, architectural design (Computer-Assisted Design), and building models. Upon learning about a two-week high school summer workshop my junior year, I immediately submitted my application and was accepted to attend the Ball State University College of Architecture and Planning summer workshop in Muncie, Indiana. This opportunity had given me good insight into learning more about the field of urban planning and design.

Through various projects and camaraderie, I discovered that I wanted to pursue a professional career in urban planning; I liked the aspect of thinking about the big picture of developing communities that have a positive impact on all peoples’ lives. With this excitement going into my senior year in high school, I spent a majority of time getting my application ready to submit to the College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) at Ball State University. I was turned down the first two semesters of my college career, but had the opportunity to take the summer first-year common design curriculum with about a dozen other students who are now colleagues. I formed a lot of great friendships over the short ten weeks that have helped me along both personally and professionally.

In sum, I was always fascinated by Ball State’s Urban Planning program since attending the high school summer workshop and knew I would be in great hands academically. My Dad was actually one of my biggest inspirations for encouraging me to take the challenge in applying for the CAP at Ball State. I was given a lot of coaxing to continue to apply to the first-year design program from professors and friends. Then, three-and-a-half years later, I graduated from Ball State in December of 2012 with a Bachelor of Urban Planning and Development. My educational career exposed me to summer internships with McCordsville and La Porte, Indiana along with an opportunity at the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission that evolved out of unpaid work in my hometown with the Community Planning and Development Department. Through these experiences, I gained new professional mentors and contacts for career advice.

Now the fun begins, right?! I spent the next 6 months in Washington, D.C. interning with Representative Bob Gibbs who challenged me to think outside the box and have an open mind in service to citizens. This challenge gave me the opportunity to serve my passions through volunteer commitment to the local bicycle advocacy and education organization, coalition for smarter growth, and planning and political issues in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. I chose to be involved in the Washington Center to give myself the opportunity to learn from professionals in the field with a firsthand experience in planning and development on a large scale.

⦁ Describe a mentor or someone you admire that has had an impact on your career.

I’ve had several mentors that have guided me along the planning career path, but none were more significant to my professional development than Dr. Francis Parker. The picture, at left, was taken of a man playing a hurdy gurdy on a field trip walking tour through the Boston Common. The picture, below, shows Dr. Parker explaining the Emerald Necklace in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Parker served as my faculty advisor to guide me with class selections that would best prepare me for a career in the planning profession. Along with his academic guidance, he also taught planning history and theory in the early part of the urban planning curriculum. I am blessed with his vast knowledge of planning history that has helped me obtain my current position and become a certified planner.

⦁ What piece of advice would you give someone just out of college and starting into the planning profession?

Get involved early in your educational career and take as many classes as you can to develop critical thinking, administration, and creative design skills. New professionals should seek to volunteer with professional organizations and ask questions related to your field of interest. APA is a great organization to be a part of and offers plentiful opportunities for volunteering on different committees that span across multiple areas of study. Many of the divisions and chapters are looking for people to write articles, contribute research, and volunteer time on completing projects that add value to the general membership. Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, but know what your limit is and what makes you happy. Once you have these things set in place everything else begins to fall in place and position you for success as an aspiring Urban Planner. Internships early in your educational career are really helpful in deciding where you want to be and in what kind of community you want to live. Patience, persistence, and passion have been three of my keys to getting to where I’m at today as well as where I want to go in the years ahead. This plan keeps me on a path to achieving my greatest potential as an individual.

⦁ Why do you belong to the Western Planner? Why is the Western Planner valuable to you as a planner?

As a current and ongoing member of the South Dakota Planners Association, a portion of my membership dues goes to support the Western Planner as a sustaining state member. All current SDPA members receive a copy of the Western Planner digital journal monthly updates via email. Western Planner offers the opportunity to connect with fellow planners from similar planning jurisdictions at larger regional conferences that contain issues more relevant to our respective areas. I enjoy the camaraderie that the Western Planner Conference brings with interactive sessions and recreational learning opportunities. Western Planner offers a great peer-learning network that planners can share information and best practices for the overall improvement of the planning profession.