laura keeley

laura keeley

Degree: 2012, Public Planning and Historic Preservation

Job Title: Community Planner with the Federal Transit Administration

Degree: 2012 M.A.

Public Planning and Historic Preservation 

Laura Keeley found success working as an Architectural Historian after graduating from the Public Planning and Historic Preservation masters programs in 2012. Keeley wanted her masters experience to be holistic with a multi-discipline approach. 

“I went right into a summer internship with the Patuxent River Naval Air Station Facilities Command Division set up through the National Council for Preservation Education,” said Keeley, “then I was very fortunate to get a job as a Planner at DelDOT where I worked in the environmental section as an Architectural Historian.” 

Recently Keeley has transitioned into working with MPOs (Metropolitan Planning Organizations) in her position as a Community Planner with the Federal Transit Administration, giving guidance on how to program and fund long-term transportation plans.  Keeley shared that when MPOs and other planning organizations ask for, or need guidance and information on transportation planning, we share best practices/good examples like the Lehigh Valley effort and give guidance on how to comply with federal planning regulations. In a nutshell it's more providing guidance and oversight of Pennsylvania's local and statewide transit planning and programming.

Keeley credits her area of work to CHAD. She enjoyed the multidisciplinary approach and said, “the program really offers you the window you may end up running with, which made a big difference in my career.”

As for any advice to those currently pursuing a career in Architecture and Historic Preservation, Keeley encourages you to actively seek out who is missing from the conversation. When analyzing GIS maps and programming data, identify gaps. “We all exist in a landscape that is taken by each generation,” said Keeley.

Everything around us has been guided by previous decision making and population needs change. How do we move forward while understanding history and present day?