Princeton NJ Local Government Press Releases

Princeton Hires New Municipal Planner, Michael LaPlace

Princeton, NJ– Princeton’s new Municipal Planner, Michael LaPlace, will start with the municipality on Monday, January 28. Michael La Place AICP, PP, has served as the Director of Planning & Economic Development for the County of Passaic, New Jersey since 2007.

A Central Jersey native, he received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the George Washington University (GW) in Washington, DC. While working on his Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree at GW, Michael started his planning career at the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission as an intern with the Montgomery County Planning Department.

Michael returned to the New York metropolitan area when he was selected to participate in the Management Training Program at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Since his time with the Port Authority, he has served as the Assistant Township Planner in Montclair, Long-Range Planning Director for Gaithersburg, Maryland, the Executive Director of the Downtown Westfield Corporation (the Business Improvement District in Westfield), Community Development Director for Plainsboro and the Director of Planning and Zoning for the City of Burlington Vermont.

He is the recipient of many awards for projects, most recently in Passaic County, his department has received several Smart Growth Planning Awards from the American Planning Association-New Jersey Chapter and from New Jersey Future.

Michael will be introduced to Mayor and Council at the January 28 Council meeting. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m.