12th Annual Ethics Seminar – “Using Power Ethically”

After a series of high-profile arrests of public sector officials in 2005-6, representatives of the Palm Beach County Planning Congress (PBCPC), Florida Atlantic University’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP), and the Treasure Coast Section, Florida Chapter, American Planning Association (APA) met in the Fall of 2007 to organize a seminar exploring the personal and professional ethical challenges facing land use and planning professionals.

The inaugural seminar in 2007 explored the laws and rules of professional conduct and identified resources – formal and informal – to help keep participants on the “straight and narrow path.”  In subsequent years, the effort came to be co-sponsored by other organizations that shared our values and goals –  the Florida Bar Association, the Florida Institute of Government, the American Society of Landscape Architects, Nova Southeastern University, and the Florida Association of Code Enforcement.

Now in its 12th year and hosted by FAU’s LeRoy Collins Public Ethics Academy (LCPEA), this year’s seminar theme was “Using Power Ethically.” Merrett Stierheim, Chair of the LCPEA Advisory Board and Ambassador Robert M. ‘Skip’ Orr, Ph.D. Distinguished Visiting Professor of History at FAU were highlighted speakers.  And for the first time in history, County Inspectors General from Miami-Dade (Mary Cagle), Broward (John Scott) and Palm Beach (John Carey) appeared on the same stage at the same time on a panel titled “Using Power Ethically in Public Ethics Investigations.”

 

LeRoy Collins Public Ethics Academy Fellows (L-R): Frank Schnidman, J.D., LL.M.; Susan M. Coughanour, FAICP; and Frank S. Palen, Esq., AICP; pictured with Peter Cruise, Academy Director; and Merrett R. Stierheim, Academy Advisory Board Chairman.

12th Annual Ethics Seminar Photo Gallery

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