HALEY BLAKEMAN, 38
Director of implementation,
Center for Planning Excellence
Haley Blakeman is passionate about making Louisiana’s communities better places to live. She does so by assisting them in creating land use plans and garnering civic engagement throughout the process. You’ve seen her work through the Better Block BR Government Street Project and efforts to improve bike and pedestrian access.
Inspiring book: A Sand County Almanac
My director gave me this book by Aldo Leopold at the end of my first internship, as we both share a love for nature. It changed the way that I see the world and how I design.
Major professional accomplishments: I am passionate about making Louisiana’s communities better places to live by connecting people and ideas, helping to identify common goals between various groups and then building support for implementing improvements. I have been working for CPEX in Louisiana communities over the past 5 years assisting them with creating land use plans and garnering civic engagement throughout the process.
I have helped local elected officials and stakeholders understand the importance of planning for growth and enhancing quality of life for all citizens. I helped Vernon Parish, Leesville and Fort Polk develop a plan that ensured the proper growth and connectivity of the city and the expanding military base. This plan was unanimously adopted and led to the creation of land use policies and design guidelines being put into law, which will have positive implications for the development of the area for many years to come. I was a team member and coordinator for the build out of the Better Block BR Government Street Project.
I am a certified planner and licensed landscape architect. I received a BLA landscape architecture from Louisiana State University and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from University of New Orleans.
Volunteer and community involvement: American Society of Landscape Architects; Chapter President of Louisiana Chapter of American Society of Landscape; organizer of Firm Crawl for LSU students; member, American Institute of Architects Sustainable Design Assistance Team; Louisiana American Planning Association; State Complete Streets Implementation Workgroup; and multiple committees and active parent at St. James Episcopal Day School.
PROFESSIONAL
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I thought for sure that I would be a vet until I found out some of the less glamorous parts of their job.
What was your first job, and what did you learn from it? I was a greeter at the Gap. People are not always nice to retail employees. I learned how to talk with people even when they are being jerks.
What is your favorite place for a business lunch in Baton Rouge? Beausoliel. Anytime.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Raising two bright, independent, engaged kids that want to make a difference in their community.
The old saying goes, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Specifically, what are you “being” to make Baton Rouge better? Helping people realize that you don’t have to be an expert to affect real change and make your 6community a better place to live, and then giving them to tools to do so.
What ritual do you do to get pumped up before a big meeting, presentation or pitch? Drop my kids off in carpool line, then turn up my Bill Withers Pandora station really loud and sing along. Don’t judge.
What has been the most fulfilling moment in your career so far? Walking down Government Street the morning of Better Block BR in April 2013 with the city-parish CAO, John Price. After we worked on the design of the street demonstration non-stop for 9 months and it was finally built, he looked around at the temporary transformation of Government Street into a functional street with a turn lane, bike lane, street trees, and sidewalks with buildings lining the street. John looked at me and said, “Until this point I have just trusted you that this will work, but now I get it.”
How many times will you try something before admitting it doesn’t work? I am a problem-solver. I usually keep trying things until I figure out a way a better way.
What is your best productivity hack? I like to wake up early, enjoy my coffee, and knock out a task that requires concentration while it is still quiet in my house. After 6:30, all bets are off.
What did you learn the hard way? That I am at my best when I surround myself with positive, hard-working, bright people.
TECHNOLOGY
Mac or PC? Mac
What’s your preferred mode of communication: text or phone call? Depends. If there is detail involved, I prefer text or email so there is something to refer to later. If I am building a relationship, or if I need a quick answer to move on with my work, then a phone call.
How low will you allow your remaining battery life to get (in %) before you have an anxiety attack? 2%
How many unread messages are in your inbox right now? 12
What app gets you through the day? Google Maps. I am always trying to find a better way to get somewhere.
Are you quick to adapt to new tech, or did you hang on to that flip phone way after it became obsolete? Quick to adapt, but prefer someone else try it out first and report back.
PERSONALITY
How many times do you hit the snooze button? Rarely. I am a light sleeper, so once the alarm goes off I go straight for coffee.
Breakfast at home? Breakfast on the go? Breakfast at your desk? No breakfast at all? First breakfast at home as soon as I wake up. Second breakfast at work around 9.
Is the glass half empty or half full? What’s in the glass? Half full. What’s in it depends on the time of day.
When did you realize you had grown up? When I was hired for my first job, my new boss told me that there was no such thing as Spring Break anymore. That was harsh.
Which living person do you most admire? My mom. She is smart, independent, determined, and brave, yet one of the most compassionate and selfless people I know.
What is your greatest extravagance? Fine dining. I am very practical and frugal on lots of things, but good food is not one of them.
If you could choose your age forever, what age would you choose and why? Definitely late thirties. Women in their late thirties are comfortable in their skin and care less about the things that don’t really matter. They know who their friends are and what they need from relationships. While they have all had some successes and failures, the future is wide open.
What is your favorite journey? “Get lost rides” with my husband on a sunny, fall afternoon when we take a road we have never been down before just to see what’s around the corner.
On what occasion do you lie? I am a terrible liar. I can keep any secret as long as I don’t have to lie about it.
When and where were you happiest? In nature.
Which talent or superpower would you most like to have and why? To freeze time, so I can squeeze in a little nap and still get things done.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? To be better organized.
What’s your most treasured possession? My grandmother’s wedding ring. I wear it everyday.
What do you most value in your friends? Kindness, compassion, honesty, and trust.
What do you miss most about the ’90s? Big bangs and permed hair. It made for some great homecoming pictures.
If you had to be a teacher of something, what would you teach? High school art.
What’s the song you always turn up the volume on? Midnight Train to Georgia. I can’t help turning it up loud and signing along.
If you could go back in time 20 years, what advice would you give yourself? Chill out. It will all be fine.
What useless piece of information will you never forget? There are 5,280 feet in a mile and 640 acres in a square mile.
What makes you laugh every time you think about it? My son’s belly laugh. It’s contagious.
LOOKING AHEAD
If you have children, what concerns you most about the future they will inherit? How our daily decisions will affect their health and their environment’s health.
Do you plan to be in the Capital Region five years from now? Yes.
Why have you chosen to make your home in the Capital Region? Family brought me here, but we stay because Baton Rouge has the potential to become a really great place to live, and I feel like I can be a part of making that happen.
Have you peaked, or do you think you’ll still have it when we launch our hypothetical “Forty Over 40” awards years from now? No way. I am just getting started.
