Herd Planning & Design
 

Collaborative Community Planning since 1991
Milton J. Herd, FAICP, is the founder and owner of the firm. He has over 30 years of successful, award-winning experience in local planning and consensus-building, in both urban and rural communities. He has conducted more than 130 public planning projects in over 75 localities throughout Virginia, and in nine other states. He has consulted for nearly 40% of all the Counties and Cities in Virginia.

Eight of the firm's community planning efforts have received awards from local Chapters of the American Planning Association and the Virginia Association of Counties.

On most projects, Mr. Herd leads a team of multi-discipline firms, assembled to provide the most effective services and expertise to the client.

Prior to establishing the firm, Mr. Herd was Planning Director for the County of Loudoun, Virginia, where he supervised a staff of more than 50 professionals, and directed the preparation of several award-winning planning documents, including Choices and Changes: The Loudoun County General Plan, adopted in 1991, which won the National Award for comprehensive planning for jurisdictions of under 100,000 people, from the American Planning Association (APA) in 1994.
Profile

 
Facilitation of Stakeholders Group for Evaluating Draft Chesapeake Bay Act Regulations, Loudoun County, VA (2010)

"I wanted to compliment you on your handling of the Stakeholder meetings... your effort and managing of us has been outstanding. There is no way this group could function without your leadership and professional approach." 

    - note from Stakeholder Group participant, to Milton Herd


Facilitation of Community Summit, Berryville, VA (2009)

"I thought last night was spectacular!!! The broad range of people in the audience, the interest and enthusiasm manifest..... really amazing. Much of the credit, of course, goes to the excellence of the facilitator [Milton Herd]. In addition to his obvious skill at managing a group, his personality seemed "just right" for our folk."

    - letter to Town Councilman from citizen participant


Comprehensive Plan for Rockingham County, VA (2000-03)

"You were really good at that meeting - you did a masterful job [facilitating]!"

     - comment to Milton Herd from interested citizen 2/13/02


Vision Plan for Town of La Plata, MD (1999-2000)

"… Projects such as this are outstanding examples of real community based planning that clearly support the goals of Smart Growth…."

     - letter from then Governor of Maryland, Parris Glendening


Vision and Strategic Plan for City of Wildwood, NJ (1998)

"You taught this community a new and more productive way of working together"

     - citizen participant, talking about Milton Herd at final meeting


Comprehensive Plan for the City of Chesapeake, VA (2002)

"I must tell you that the praise just doesn't seem to end. I get nothing but positive comments regarding the sessions. I now have some of the [Advisory Committee] member's substitutes trying to figure out how to get onto the team …... they are really pumped up! You are doing a fabulous job of facilitating!

     - message from the Planning Administrator, City of Chesapeake,  regarding visioning sessions facilitated by Milton Herd


Round Hill Design Charrette for Loudoun County, VA (2000-01)

"You've done a fantastic job facilitating this process"
   
       - member of Loudoun County Planning Commission, to Milton Herd

City of Winchester, Virginia
Comprehensive Plan (2011) (Virginia APA Award, 2013)

Amelia County, Virginia
Comprehensive Plan 1993-95 (Virginia APA Award, 1996)

Augusta County, Virginia
Comprehensive Plan 1992-94 (Virginia APA Award, 1995)

Town of La Plata, Maryland
Visioning Process and Comprehensive Plan Amendments 1999-2000
(Maryland APA Award)

Village of Willis Wharf, Virginia
Community Visioning Process 1994 (Virginia APA Award, 1997)

Governance for the 21st Century: Region-wide study of local government services 1998-99
Augusta County, Virginia (with Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro)
(Virginia APA Distinguished Planning Award, 2000)

Round Hill Design Charrette, Loudoun County, Virginia (2000-2001)
(Planning Award from Virginia Association of Counties, 2003)

Frederick County and City of Winchester, Virginia
Public Involvement Process for Civil War Battlefield Network Plan 1994   (Virginia APA Award, 1997)


Loudoun County, Virginia

As Planning Director for the County:

Directed preparation of General Plan in 1991, which received the National Planning Award from APA in 1994.

Directed preparation of Rural Village and Rural Hamlet Zoning Ordinances (Virginia APA Award 1992)

Directed preparation of Historic District Guidelines 
(Virginia APA Award, 1988)

Directed preparation of Dulles North Area Plan 
(Virginia APA Award 1987)

Helped author Eastern Loudoun Area Plan 
(Virginia APA Award 1982)

Sample of Many Testimonials
 
Mr. Herd holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Architecture from the University of Florida, with a graduate concentration in urban planning. He has also completed post-graduate studies in planning and urban design at the University of Virginia, in economic development at the University of North Carolina, and in professional mediation techniques at the Center for Dispute Settlement in Washington, D. C. He is a member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners (FAICP).

Since 1992, he has served as a faculty member of the Certified Planning Commissioner’s Program sponsored by the Citizens Planning and Education Association of Virginia (CPEAV), providing training to local planning officials throughout the state. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the Center for Graduate and Professional Studies at Goucher College, in Baltimore, Maryland, and has served as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Virginia, School of Architecture, Charlottesville. 


Award-Winning Projects
He has published several articles in planning and business journals, and has given presentations on a range of planning topics at over one hundred professional conferences and seminars throughout the country. (Scroll down to read Resume)