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A professional planner as well as educator and writer, David Boyd has devoted his career to fostering high-profile initiatives to advance collaborations across communities and citistate regions. He has been an advisor, formally and informally, to many elected officials and non-government organizations interested in sustainable, inclusive, and smart growth-oriented approaches to community development — winning in the process, an informal title as “community therapist.”
In recent years Boyd has been focused on development of a fast-learning regional economic development, “Thrive,” in Madison, Wis., a project in which the late Citistates Associate John Parr offered early assistance. Prior to that he was one of the architects of the St. Louis’ Metropolitan Forum, an alliance of business, government and civic leaders addressing the challenges of racial and economic disparity in that region. He also led the St. Louis area Regional Citizens Network, a unique program that combined civic journalism with community engagement and collaborative leadership in a multi-county process involving hundreds of citizens in dialogue about issues ranging from education and transportation to the arts. A major part of his work continues to be in individual communities, helping citizens and leaders develop strategic and prioritized policy responses. With a mission to help prepare the next generation of citizens and professional planners, Boyd has held faculty appointments in urban and regional planning departments at Cornell University, St. Louis University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He currently holds the title of director of business development for MSA Professional Services, an engineering, planning and architectural design firm with offices throughout the upper Midwest. His current work tends to involve helping several communities by working with leadership to identify “assets and liabilities” and to develop strategic and prioritized policy responses. Last updated January 12, 2009 |