Tilda Caudle receives award as planning advocate

Wake Forest community leader Tilda Caudle is the 2021 recipient of the NC chapter of the America Planning Association’s Marvin Collins Award in the category of Planning Advocate. The category recognizes an appointed or administrative official, elected official, citizen planner, media outlet, or other individual for increasing understanding of the value of planning and sound planning principles.

Caudle was nominated by Michelle Michael, Senior Planner-Historic Preservation. In her nomination narrative, Michael praised Caudle’s “unmatched” capacity for service throughout Wake Forest.

“(Tilda) has worked to improve housing, food security, and educational opportunities to enrich lives of all ages within the Northeast Community, Wake Forest’s historically African American neighborhood,” noted Michael. “During the NE Community Plan Update, she served a pivotal role as liaison between the Town of Wake Forest and the NE Community.”

Michael then described the full extent of Caudle’s involvement in the Northeast Community Plan Update.

“She participated in the consultant interviews, identified the community’s needs, identified volunteers for the advisory committee, facilitated communication and public outreach, and has advocated for the visions and goals of the plan,” she wrote. “Tilda has been instrumental in this significant plan initiative for the NE Community and the Town of Wake Forest.”

The NC Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-NC) is an association of 1,400 professional and citizen planners working to preserve and create great places throughout North Carolina. The APA-NC Marvin Collins Planning Awards program annually recognizes agencies and individuals that have completed outstanding plans, programs, and projects; have excelled as planning students; or have made notable contributions to the planning profession. The awards signify the highest standards of achievement for planning in North Carolina, and highlight work that is worthy of attention. The award was presented at the APA-NC annual conference held virtually in October.

The Awards Program is named in honor of the late Marvin Collins, a former Planning Director for Orange County, North Carolina, who developed the idea for the program in 1975. He received a Professional Achievement Award from the APA-NC just prior to his death in 1998. For the 25th anniversary of the awards program, the APA-NC Executive Committee recognized Marvin’s service to the chapter by adding his name to the awards program.

For more information, email Michelle Michael at mmichael@wakeforestnc.gov.

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