MRSC Welcomes Leonard Bauer as a Planning Consultant

Greetings! I am thrilled to be part of the MRSC staff team as a new planning consultant. I recently retired after a 35-year career in public service, and I have always been proud to work alongside colleagues who are dedicated to making a difference in their communities every day. I look forward to supporting your important work in my new role.

I have lived in Washington nearly my entire life. I grew up in Yakima, and, in hindsight, I took for granted its bounty of sunshine, fresh produce, and cultural diversity. I did quickly learn to appreciate its proximity to the Cascade Mountains, which led to a life-long love of hiking and mountain climbing.

I attended Washington State University to become a landscape architect, seeking to blend my love of the outdoors with an interest in the built environment. Unfortunately, in the days before computer-aided drafting, it became apparent that my talents lay somewhere other than architectural drawing!

I eventually completed a B.A. in History at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. After several years trying different jobs, I discovered the field of planning. It was perfect! I could help build communities without needing to be a gifted designer.

I earned a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from the University of Oregon (yes, Husky fans, I am both a Cougar and a Duck — I hope you won’t hold that against me). Ironically, my first planning position was as an intern at the Oregon Bureau of Governmental Research and Services, the now-defunct counterpart to MRSC. I then worked at the Lane County Regional Council of Governments in Eugene, Oregon, before returning to Washington with the passage of the Growth Management Act (GMA) in 1990.

I have since served as a planner and planning director for three cities: Tumwater, Sumner, and Olympia. I also worked for the Washington Department of Commerce as Managing Director of the Growth Management Services program for 12 years. While in that role, I led a staff team to help counties and cities create and implement comprehensive plans. I was also the primary advisor on planning issues to the governor’s Policy Office under three different governors.

One of the key lessons I have learned working on planning and public policy issues is that they are all interconnected. Sometimes in our zeal to advance one important policy goal we do not take the time to examine the potential impacts on other goals. MRSC has always been a great resource to me to get a broader picture of the possible outcomes of a proposed plan or policy. (It is a lot like having a good map when you’re trying to decide which climbing route to take. While there may be several paths to the summit, a map can show you which one has fewer rivers to cross or steep switchbacks to climb!)

During my career as a planner, I have worked on a huge variety of local, regional, and state policy issues. I can attest to the truth that MRSC’s customers and partners know — there’s never a dull moment as we are always facing new issues and challenges. Sometimes we need to blaze a new trail to address these challenges. Many times, we can follow a path that others have walked ahead of us.

I am happy to continue my career at MRSC helping you find the best paths to success for your communities!