As the 2016 year comes to an end it is time for the Orange Section Board Member Elections! We have a number of great candidates running for board member positions and we are so grateful to all of the candidates for volunteering their time! As an APA member, please take a moment to read through the candidate statements below…
The County of Monterey Resource Management Agency is seeking an experienced Planning professional to join the Land Use and Community Development Division. The Chief of Planning is responsible for developing and implementing programs, divisional goals and measurements, objectives, policies and procedures. The Chief of Planning oversees a unit budget of $5.8 million and leads a team of 18 professional…
Note: This recruitment is being conducted to fill 2 current vacancies and will be used to establish an eligibility list for upcoming vacancies in the next 3-6 months. Note: The vacancies will be filled at either the Assistant Planner or Associate Planner levels depending on qualifications. Note: Planning professionals are needed with expertise in any or a combination of…
In Memory of Daniel Chuong, Founding Chair of Orange County Young Planners Group
It is with great sadness and shock to hear that OCYPG’s Founding Chair, Daniel Chuong, was tragically killed after being struck by an unidentified motorist on Saturday, February 1, 2020. Daniel was hit while attempting to cross as a pedestrian at the intersection of Lincoln and Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica. He was 34 years old.
Back in 2011, Daniel and a group of emerging planners sought out to form the Orange County Young Planners Group as a subset of American Planning Association, California Chapter, Orange Section. Our very first OCYPG meetings were held at Daniel’s office conference room at HDR and we brainstormed the early beginnings of this group. We sat at the roundtable assigning tasks and titles, organizing social events and marketing, and developing strategies to grow OCYPG’s reach and membership. Our goal was to connect with other young planners, and Daniel led that charge. As a result, we all gained meaningful relationships and true friendships with people that share our passion for urban planning.
OCYPG would not be what it is today if it wasn’t for Daniel’s leadership.
For those of you who may not be aware, it was truly evident that Daniel was dedicated to his transportation planning career. Daniel earned his degrees from University of California, Irvine, including his Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Analysis and Design, Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning, and Master of Science in Transportation Science. Several MURP alumni know him as a proud UCI Anteater.
He served as an intern with Parsons Brinkerhoff, Urban Land Institute, Orange County Transportation Authority, City of Tustin, and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Daniel worked at HDR as a Right of Way Acquisition Agent, UC Irvine as a Graduate Student Researcher, OCTA as a Transportation Funding Analyst, Senior Transportation Planner at Los Angeles Metro, and most recently at LSA as a Transportation Planner.
Our hearts go out to his wife Linda and his family. Daniel will be missed dearly.
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Thank you to Belinda Ann Deines for composing this message to help ensure Daniel's impact and legacy live on. OC-APA is planning to dedicate a student scholarship in Daniel's name to honor his work in furthering the planning profession. OC-APA will be allocating a portion of the 2020 budget to fund this scholarship and more information on how members or others who knew Daniel can contribute will follow shortly.
