Principal
James E. Lehe, AICP
Manager
Birmingham, Alabama
Jim
Lehe has close to thirty years of professional planning experience. Consulting
part-time since 1993, he began his full-time practice in 2000 with the
establishment of Lehe Planning, LLC. He previously held professional planning
positions with the City of Birmingham, Alabama; the East Alabama Regional
Planning and Development Commission; the Birmingham Regional Planning
Commission; the Roanoke County, Virginia, Planning Department; and the
Shreveport, Louisiana, Metropolitan Planning Commission. He completed the U.S.
Department of HUD Urban Intern Program as a Community Planner in 1981. He is a
graduate of the University of Central Florida program in Legal Studies, B.A.
1977, and holds a master's degree in Public Administration from Florida State
University, M.S.P.A. 1979, and a master's degree in Urban and Environmental
Planning from the University of Virginia, M.P. 1982. A charter member of the
American Planning Association since 1978 and a member of the American Institute
of Certified Planners since 1985, he has served on the Executive Committee of
the Alabama Chapter as President, Treasurer, and Section Representative.Associates
Principal Planner
Birmingham, Alabama
James Ponseti joined the firm in the summer of 2009 with over 20 years of professional planning experience. He provides professional planning and management services to all projects. Previously, he was Senior Planner for the Shelby County, Alabama, Development Services Department, where he directed long range planning services over a seven year period. The award-winning 2004 Shelby County Comprehensive Plan was prepared under his direction, and he played a key role in preparing the innovative 2007 Shelby County Subdivision Regulations. Before moving back to Alabama in 2002, James worked as a consulting planner and project manager in West Palm Beach, Florida, following his 12-year tenure as a planner with the Palm Beach County Planning Department. He holds a Master of Community Planning and a B.A. degree in Political Science from Auburn
University.Candace L. Snipes
Senior GIS Analyst
Mobile, Alabama
Candace Snipes has over 25 years of professional planning
and GIS experience. She provides GIS analysis services for hazard
mitigation and comprehensive planning project assignments. Previously, she was the GIS Manager for the
City of Mobile GIS Division for 16 years (1989-2005), where she established its
GIS program and managed the City’s GIS Division, directing a professional and
technical staff of twelve. She began
with the City of Mobile Planning Department as a Planner for five years before
her promotion to GIS Manager. Prior to
her work with the City of Mobile, she was a Programmer/Analyst with the Atlanta
Regional Planning Commission. Ms. Snipes holds a
Celeste Boydston
Associate Planner
Auburn, Alabama
Celeste Boydston, based in Auburn, Alabama, has
professional experience in a broad range of planning activities.
She rejoined Lehe Planning in 2008, having previously worked for the
firm as a mitigation planner during 2002 – 2004. During that period,
she assisted with the preparation of multi-jurisdictional natural
hazards
mitgation plans for 18 Alabama counties, among other assignments.
Prior to Lehe Planning, she had managed her own consulting firm, Business
Development Specialists;
worked for Hendon Engineering, Birmingham, Alabama, in business
development; served
the City of Irondale, Alabama, as City Planner and Zoning
Administrator; and
was a Planning Intern for the Jefferson County, Alabama, Department of
Land
Development. She holds an M.P.A. degree in Public Adminstration from
the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a B.A. from Auburn
University.
Amanda Capps
Hazard Mitigation Associate
Birmingham, Alabama
Amanda Capps
has over five years of experience in hazard mitigation and disaster
relief. Working as a part time associate for Lehe Planning, she works
full time with the American Red Cross, managing its College Shelter
Program. She began her career in mitigation planning with the Alabama
Emergency Management Association in February 2004, where she worked as
a Mitigation Planner and Program Manager until late 2007. During that
period, she gained extensive experience and training in State and local
mitigation planning and the management of FEMA grant programs. Ms.
Capps holds a B.S. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Lewis Lehe
Research Associate
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Lewis Lehe is a part time associate who works remotely from Pittsburgh, PA. He is completing his thesis for a B.Phil. degree in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Pittsburgh Honors College. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa, he expects to graduate Summa Cum Laude in May, 2010. Lewis provides research related to community demographics and economics and assists with preparing hazard vulnerability assessments of communities. He drafted the development trends sections for hazard mitigation plans prepared by Lehe Planning in 2004 and 2005.
Administration
Kay Jones
Project Administrator
Birmingham, Alabama
Kay Jones
provides administrative services for all projects, including grant
administration, financial management and monitoring, research, and
technical support. Kay began work at Lehe Planning in January of 2005,
not long after she and her family lost their home, which was destroyed
by the Brookside, Alabama, flood of Five Mile Creek in May, 2003. Her
personal experiences in that flood provide her with unique
qualifications to serve as the lead point of contact on all flood plain
property acquisition projects. Ms. Jones has over 20 years of
administrative experience.