Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.
The program was developed to address a clear need. Stefanoff recognized that many appointed or employed commissioners and staff in local government lack planning expertise or understanding. “Since these individuals are making community-impacting decisions, they need to be trained,” she explained.
To create the training, Stefanoff recruited volunteers to work on a comprehensive curriculum. The final program consists of six modules covering the essential knowledge that commissioners and officials must master to make sound planning decisions.
After working on the curriculum for some time, the team launched a trial version in 2022. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with a high demand for more training. Following this success, the team prepared six full modules and opened the official class in August 2025.
Eleven students have completed all six modules and passed the final exam, earning the Certified Citizen Planner status from the APA-OK chapter, which has approved the certification. If you would like to learn more or are interested in joining the next training cycle in August 2026, please contact Petya Stefanoff at Petya.Stefanoff-1@ou.edu.
The Gibbs Design in Action Awards (GDAA) program, led by Dr. Wanda Liebermann, has announced its 2026–2027 funded student projects. The initiative supports design and research work that addresses social, cultural, and economic issues in the built environment through collaboration with faculty and community partners.
The OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) 2024 collaboration with the Historic Threatt Filling Station has been recognized in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's newly released Byways Report: The Scenic Route to Rural Prosperity – a story-driven publication exploring how road trip culture and place-based tourism can fuel economic growth in rural communities.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Camille Germany, Chief of Staff, has been named the 2026 recipient of the university-wide Jennifer L. Wise Good Stewardship Award.
