PlanVirginia is the trade name for The Citizens Planning Education Association of Virginia, Inc.. PlanVirginia is a volunteer, nonprofit (501 (c)(3)) dedicated to furthering throughout the Commonwealth public understanding and awareness of the need for excellent community planning as a means of making our localities better places in which to live, work, and do business.
This organization was formed in May 1950 as the Virginia Citizens Planning Association (VCPA) and operated continuously under that name until mid-July 2005. VCPA, as a tax exempt 501(c)(4) organization, formed CPEAV in its image and obtained its recognition as a nonprofit association in 2005. VCPA was merged into CPEAV soon afterward.
We pursue our mission through advocacy and by sponsorship of high-quality educational programs and training initiatives for local planning commissions, boards of zoning appeals, governing bodies and their support staffs, and interested citizens. Our goal remains, as it has always been, to provide the means of strengthening their capacity for skillful, knowledgeable and responsible community planning and decision making.
Our programs are continuously evaluated and updated to reflect changing legal requirements and mandates as well as the knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of community needs, growth and development as well as our growing understanding of what and how to best make and maintain our communities as safe, healthy, convenient and vibrant locations in which to live, work, and do business.
Just as planning is a cyclical, never ending process, so too must be the planning and updating of our education program. We believe the growing number of Virginia localities strongly encouraging or requiring certification of their planning commission and boards of zoning appeals members attests to our passion for and successful delivery of the best possible training for their valued citizen volunteers. And we also believe the growing number of local staff members who take advantage of the same training are better able to provide the best, most complementary and dedicated support of the appointed and elected public officials they serve. Communities with such dedicated teams will make their visions happen! And the road to that destination will be smoother and straighter.
We pioneered this type of training in the Nation and have received both National and State recognition for our programs. They are unexcelled as the most comprehensive and demanding of such programs offered anywhere in the Nation, both currently and during the past quarter-century. CPEAV is immensely proud of the abilities of the many hundreds of its Program graduates and the outstanding contributions they have made to the improvement and quality of life in their communities throughout both the Commonwealth and nation.
We encourage everyone who shares these goals to become a member of CPEAV and participate in our activities, including attendance of our Board of Directors meetings. Contact the Secretary for details and additional information about our Association.
Board of Directors
