2026 CCAPA Awards
Congratulations to the following CCAPA Award Recipients:
Rising Stars: Kate Rozen and Bryce Kelly
Kate Rozen, Project Planner with Toole Design, was recognized for her growing influence in transportation planning. Her work includes serving as planner and engagement lead for CRCOG’s Priority Pathways initiative, helping communities align active transportation priorities with funding opportunities. She also led a successful $19 million Safe Streets and Roads for All grant proposal for Aquidneck Island municipalities and has secured more than $600,000 for bicycle and pedestrian improvements in Woodbridge.
Bryce Kelly, Planner II with the Town of Groton, was honored for his work on “Meeting in the Middle: Unlocking Housing Opportunities in Groton.” As project manager, Kelly organized public meetings and walking tours, developed an online engagement hub, and created an inventory StoryMap. His nomination emphasized his contribution to advancing one of Connecticut’s most pressing planning challenges: making communities more affordable and accessible.
Planning Through Inclusive Engagement
New Haven’s Vision 2034 Comprehensive Plan received the Social Equity and Inclusion Award for a community-driven approach that moved engagement from outreach to implementation. The process included 10 resident community navigators, seven public workshops, 18 stakeholder interviews, 18 community events, more than 1,500 online survey responses, bilingual promotional materials, youth-to-youth outreach, and an interactive project website and map. The plan was also recognized for connecting local priorities with broader statewide issues such as housing, transportation, economic development, and climate resilience.
Windsor 2035: Summer of 10,000 Flowers received the Education and Outreach Award for a memorable, branded engagement campaign supporting the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development. The program combined surveys, workshops, community dialogue events, a photo contest, a public input session, a website, and StoryMap tools, using the “10,000 Flowers” theme to make planning visible, approachable, and fun.
Leadership and Statewide Collaboration
Emmeline Harrigan, AICP, received the 2026 President’s Award in recognition of her contributions to the planning profession and the chapter.
CCAPA also presented a Special Chapter Award to Connecticut’s Councils of Governments in recognition of the staff who served on the New Housing Legislation Roll-Out Committee. Honorees represented CRCOG, MetroCOG, NECCOG, NHCOG, NVCOG, RiverCOG, SCRCOG, SECOG, and WestCOG, reflecting an extraordinary level of regional collaboration in responding to new housing legislation and supporting municipalities across the state.