Planning Staff Earn Credentials

Several Planning staff members have recently passed certification exams, working hard to become accredited in their fields of expertise.

Since last summer, three staff members have earned advanced professional credentials.

Michelle Portier and Craig Luebke both passed the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) exam, which is the only nationwide, independent verification of planners’ qualifications. Tarren Barrett received her Professional Engineer (PE) certification from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).

Michelle is a Senior Planner focusing on sector plans, rezoning and development plan reviews.

She is also the primary staff contact for the Tennessee Technology Corridor Development Authority (TTCDA). Michelle came to Planning in 2019 after working for the City of Maryville’s Planning department. 

Craig, a planner for the TPO, works primarily on the Transportation Improvement Program.

In addition to managing and updating this program, he coordinates the Mobility Plan update and tracks performance metrics. He’s been with the TPO for two years now, joining us after working in a similar position in Evansville, Indiana.

While Michelle and Craig are both fairly new to our agency and Knoxville, Tarren has been a transportation engineer in the office for seven years.

Tarren works in the Planning Services division on development and traffic impact review, goods movement, incident management and congestion management.

She is also a Major in the Tennessee Air National Guard.

Michelle, Tarren and Craig join several other colleagues who are also nationally accredited:

These individuals meet and exceed national standards for professional knowledge, training and experience, and required continuing education ensures they are current with advancements in their fields. We are proud of the standards our staff members hold themselves to. Help us congratulate these individuals for their hard work and well-deserved recognition!