Jennifer Pruitt-Pitts’ love of positively impacting the lives of everyday community members began at a young age. As a teenager, Pruitt-Pitts became inspired by planning through her relationship with her father, who served as a planning commissioner for their community in National City, California.

“Witnessing the fascinating process at an early age fueled my passion to pursue a career as a planner,” Pruitt-Pitts said of her decision to pursue a Bachelor’s and Master of Architecture from the New School of Architecture and Design in San Diego.

Following the completion of her degree programs, Pruitt-Pitts soon found herself working her way up the ladder at the City of Carson City, Nevada. She began as a Planning Technician and, over the course of her 17 years with the City, was promoted to Assistant Planner, Associate Planner, Senior Planner, and ultimately, Principal Planner and Historic Preservation Planner. During this chapter of her career, Pruitt-Pitts successfully led the preservation efforts to save the First Presbyterian Church of Carson City, the oldest church in Nevada, which was built in 1861. This significant achievement was presented at the National APA Conference in Las Vegas in 2008. Today, the church is home to a vibrant, diverse congregation that serves as a living legacy to Pruitt-Pitts’ dedication to its preservation.

In 2012, Pruitt-Pitts made the move to Arlington, Texas, where for eight years she served in a variety of roles, including, Senior Planner, Project Manager, Principal Planner, Planning Manager, and acting Assistant Director.

While in Arlington, Pruitt-Pitts became the only Primary Planner on the Viridian Master Planned Development.

During this project, she worked closely with the public-private partnership, leading the team proactively to tackle any unexpected development roadblocks. She carefully initiated weekly on-site meetings with developers to anticipate and prevent potential issues.

“I spearheaded efforts to incorporate the first new HEB Elementary School in the area over ten years,” Pruitt-Pitts shared. “I coordinated with the developer to enhance the architectural design and improve the landscaping efforts of the school, making it an integral part of the Master Planned community.”

Today, Viridian is a beautiful, 2,000-acre Master-Planned Community featuring five major lakes, 500 acres of open space, and an additional 500 acres of wetlands, rivers, and streams. The natural area is home to various wildlife and offers miles of nature trails that connect to the River Legacy Park and Living Science Center.

In addition to bringing projects from ideation to reality, Pruitt-Pitts’ Arlington planning portfolio also includes bringing stalled or failed planning projects back to life. From 2015-2019, she was appointed project manager for a languishing 1.2 million-square-foot mixed-use project rebranded as Texas Live!, as well as a Loews Hotel project.

“During the projects, I encountered many obstacles, including major construction in an area with two Major League sports stadiums, a conflict with a state-of-the-art German autonomous vehicle program spearheaded by Long Range Planning efforts, a people mover trail system, the need to relocate a 48-inch sanitary sewer line costing $3 million halfway through the project, and the implementation of FEMA mitigation measures to address floodway proximity and FEMA permit regulatory measures,” she recalled.

But obstacles never deter Pruitt-Pitts. “Throughout decades in the Planning profession, navigating through roadblocks and hurdles has become second nature,” she says. “Persistence and unwavering transparency in serving others are key principles that guide every decision.

With these key principles in front of mind, while in Arlington Pruitt-Pitts desired to improve the planning process to ensure stakeholder collaboration and transparency. She became the primary lead in establishing the Arlington, TX Developers Focus Group in 2019, which had the objective of holding regular quarterly meetings and interacting with developers to proactively identify policy areas of improvement in the city's development initiatives.

“As the fields of architecture, design, and construction are constantly evolving, the development industry will need to rely on our problem-solving skills to achieve success,” Pruitt-Pitts said. “Additionally, the focus group served as a platform for my staff to relay essential information to developers, ensuring that no unexpected events occur from new policies or procedures implemented by the City. You must communicate and be proactive!”

This passion for the planning process has always shone through in her work.

“I wholeheartedly believe in the planning process,” Pruitt-Pitts said, “Planning is not a new profession, and more often than not, we look back at our planning history to resolve and improve today's issues. Those who came before us paved the way for great planning.”

Today, Pruitt-Pitt’s is a retired Senior Planning Director. Throughout her impressive career in planning, Pruitt-Pitts has expertly served communities across the western and southern United States. When asked what she was most proud of when it came to her prosperous planning career, it came down to service.

“As a Planner, I've had the privilege of working in this profession for 30+ years and have found immense satisfaction in the Planning Process,” Pruitt-Pitts shared. “My role as a planner enables me to positively influence people's lives and make a significant impact on the communities I serve. It's gratifying to witness the impact of our work every day and in every corner of the areas we serve.”

“In the field of planning, continuous learning is crucial for success,” Pruitt-Pitt said. “As the planning culture evolves, it's important to remain flexible and open to change. Success in this field is a marathon, not a sprint, and we must always be willing to adapt.” She has recently been selected as the program manager of the APA Mentor program, which is dedicated to mentoring urban planners nationwide.

In addition to sharing her wisdom, Pruitt-Pitt seeks to pay-it-forward by opening doors financially for aspiring minority planners. In honor of her late husband, Michael W. Pitts, she established the Michael W. Pitts Memorial Scholarship Foundation and currently serves as the president of the foundation. The primary objective of the Foundation is to provide scholarships to minority students who may not typically qualify for such opportunities, to mentor and empower future planners, and to contribute to the growth and development of the planning profession.

Since 2018 the foundation has awarded 10 scholarships totaling $12,000 and has secured funding to ensure financial support for planning students for the next 20 years.

Education: Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture, New School of Architecture, San Diego, CA; AICP, LEED-AP, CNU-A

Divisions: City Planning and Management Division, New Urbanism Division, Planning and the Black Community

States Worked: California, Nevada and, Texas

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