Meet Our Staff

John P. Whalen,FAICP

PRESIDENT

Mr. Whalen is an urban and regional planner whose professional career extends over three decades and includes substantial administrative roles in government and private practice. He has undertaken numerous complex planning assignments, ranging from broad policy issues to site-specific physical development designs, in a wide variety of urban and rural settings in Hawaii. Prior to forming Lacayo Planning, he served as Director of Land Utilization for the City and County of Honolulu, where he had responsibility for zoning controls and land use permitting throughout the Island of Oahu.

Professional Experience

• 1990 - present President, PlanPacific, Inc. (formerly Lacayo Planning, Inc.). Honolulu, Hawaii.
• 1985 - 1989 Director, Department of Land Utilization, City and County of Honolulu. Honolulu, Hawaii.
• 1984 Urban and Regional Planning Consultant. Honolulu, Hawaii.
• 1981 - 1983 Senior Associate, EDAW, Inc. Honolulu, Hawaii.
• 1979 - 1981 Planning Division Chief, Department of Housing and Community Development, City and County of Honolulu. Honolulu, Hawaii.
• 1974 - 1978 Environmental Planner, Department of General Planning and Land Utilization, City and County of Honolulu. Honolulu, Hawaii.
• 1974 Planning Consultant, CARE. Guatemala, Central America.
• 1972 - 1974 Director, Fundacin Grupos Unidos de Agricultores (ULEU). Chimaltenango, Guatemala.
• 1972 Community Planner, Bucks County Planning Commission. Doylestown, Pennsylvania
• 1971 Planner/Intern, Comision de Desarrollo de la Cuenca del Ro Guayas. Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Education

• Master of Science, Urban Planning. Columbia University, School of Architecture. New York, New York.
• Certificate, International Fellows Program. Columbia University, School of International Affairs. New York, New York.
• Master of Arts, Public Law and Government. Columbia University and City University of New York, Graduate Faculties. New York, New York.
• Bachelor of Art, Political Science and Pre-Architecture, Phi Beta Kappa. Rutgers University. New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Professional Affiliations

• American Planning Association, Hawai'i Chapter.
• American Institute of Certified Planners, College of Fellows.
• Lambda Alpha, International Land Economics Honorary Society.