Every month, the Planning Commission highlights one of its staff members. Senior Environmental Planner Carrie J. Conwell, AICP discusses how she landed her first job in planning and how she arrived at the Planning Commission. She also shared information about her life philosophy, interests, family, and more.

 

Where are you from?  Delaware County (Marcus Hook Borough)

 

What did you want to be when you were growing up? A biology teacher

 

What was your first job? My first job ever was working at Gymboree. My first job in the field was working for Delaware County Planning Department in Media.

 

What did you study in college? geography at West Chester University (WCU) and science, technology and society at Drexel University

 

How did you get into planning? I took Geography 101 as a general education requirement with Bob Bielski and loved it. I jumped ship from secondary education and biology to geography the following semester.

 

How did you arrive at the Chester County Planning Commission? After graduating from WCU, I worked at Delaware County Planning Department as an environmental planner for two years, went to Drexel for two years, and then touched base with Wayne Clapp, our former assistant director, when I was looking for a job.

 

What’s your favorite project so far? The most helpful project I’ve worked on is the Pipeline Information Center. There is so much going on in that realm that there is almost always new information and new developments.

 

What has changed in planning since you first started? Pipelines. They weren’t a blip on anyone’s radar until 2008, and since then, the activity in pipeline development, planning, and land use impacts have come into play routinely since then.

 

What three words best describe you? outgoing, funny, giving

 

What is something colleagues don’t know about you?  I think I’m a fairly open book, so I don’t know.

 

What is your life philosophy? You have to choose to be happy. If you get knocked down seven times, you have to get up eight.

 

What is your favorite place in Chester County? I’m not sure that I have an absolute favorite. I love West Chester Borough, Highland Orchards, and the Whip Tavern.

 

Where would we find you after hours? At home, at my daughter’s school, or at daycare

 

What’s the last book you read? “Merry Christmas Little Pookie” (It was a nail-biter.)

 

Is there anything else you’d like to share? I’m married to Jason, a family doctor, have two awesome kiddos – Cate, who is 8, and Jack, who is 2 – and two crazy cats: Juka and Nala.