Mike Slaughter, P.E., AICP

Principal

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

EXPERIENCE

Mr. Slaughter, owner and founder of the firm, is responsible for the overall day-to-day operations of the firm that includes the duties of marketing, client contact, project design, management & presentation, quality control, and the direct oversight of all staff/associates. He is directly responsible for the production of urban planning projects such as annexation feasibility analysis, fringe area studies, redistricting of wards and districts, comprehensive planning, zoning, subdivision regulations and ordinances. Mr. Slaughter is a certified planner (AICP) with over twenty (20) years planning experience and a professional engineer (P.E.).

Mr. Slaughter is recognized as an expert witness in urban planning, civil engineering and governmental finance. He has testified as an expert in more than forty (40) annexation cases before the Chancery Courts in the State of Mississippi.

Prior to founding Slaughter & Associates, PLLC, Mr. Slaughter was with the urban planning firm of Bridge & Slaughter for 15 years, 11 of which, he was a partner. His responsibilities with Bridge & Slaughter were very similar to those now with Slaughter & Associates. Prior to that, he was vice-president and chief design engineer with the engineering & planning consulting firm of W.H. Porter & Company located in Memphis, Tennessee. Mr. Slaughter was with W.H. Porter & Company for over six years and was responsible for the design and construction inspection of numerous residential, commercial and industrial subdivisions, streets, roads, bridges, water distribution systems, sanitary sewer collections systems and urban drainage systems in the Memphis metropolitan area.

EDUCATION

The University of Memphis
Master of City and Regional Planning

The University of Mississippi
Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

American Planning Association
American Society of Civil Engineers

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) nationally recognized certification
Professional Engineer (P.E.)

 

Richard Donovan

Project Manager

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Comprehensive Planning

Land Use Controls

Zoning Ordinances/Maps

Housing Analyses

Sign Ordinances

Subdivision Regulations

Architectural Design Ordinances

Municipal Annexation

Political Redistricting

Community Design

Geographic Information System (GIS)

Economic Development  

EXPERIENCE

Richard Donovan is a certified planner (CNU-A & AICP) with six years of experience as a municipal planner. Mr. Donovan has most recently served as the Planning Director for the City of Lakeland, Tennessee. Before his time with Lakeland, Mr. Donovan served as the City Planner for the City of Portland, Tennessee, as the Principal Planner for the City of Lebanon, Tennessee, and as an intern with the City of Dothan, Alabama. Prior to his career in the public sector, Mr. Donovan was employed by Slaughter & Associates as a Project Manager/Planner from 2013 to 2015. Richard is a member of the American Planning Association and Congress for New Urbanism who received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Geography in 2008 and a Master of City and Regional Planning in 2013, both from the University of Memphis.

EDUCATION

The University of Memphis
Master of City and Regional Planning

The University of Memphis
Bachelor of Arts, Geography

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

American Planning Association (APA)

Small Town & Rural Planning Division, APA

New Urbanism Division, APA

Congress for New Urbanism

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), #029001
Congress for New Urbanism – Accredited (CNU-A)

OTHER POSITIONS

Planning Director
Lakeland, Tennessee

City Planner
Portland, Tennessee

Planner I/Principal Planner
Lebanon, Tennessee

 

 

Nathan Willingham

Senior Planner/Senior Project Manager

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Comprehensive Planning

Land Use Controls

Zoning Ordinances

Subdivision Regulations

Sign Ordinances

Historic Preservation and Architectural Design

Hazard Mitigation Planning

Transportation and Public Transit Planning

Workforce and Economic Development

Community Development

Redistricting

Municipal Annexation

EXPERIENCE

Nathan Willingham has extensive experience in community and regional planning, economic development, and public management. Mr. Willingham's planning career started in 2004 as a community planner for the State of Tennessee's Local Planning Assistance Office before he joined the Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments as Director of Planning (2007-2012) and Director of Planning and Transportation (2012-2018), where he supported municipal and county planning and led the Metropolitan Planning Organization and public transit system. Before joining Slaughter & Associates, Nathan worked in higher education and economic development positions and as a municipal planning and public management consultant. Nathan is a University of North Alabama graduate and earned a Master of Public Administration from Troy University. He is currently a doctoral candidate writing his dissertation for a Doctor of Public Administration from Valdosta State University. Nathan is a member of the American Planning Association (APA) and the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

EDUCATION

Valdosta State University
Doctor of Public Administration (ABD)

Troy University
Master of Public Administration

University of North Alabama
Bachelor of Science, Political Science & History

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

American Planning Association (APA)

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)

OTHER POSITIONS

Head of Federal Grants
Rural Innovation Strategies, Inc.

Director of Grants and Sponsored Programs
University of North Alabama

Founder & Principal Planner
Willingham Planning

City Planner
Muscle Shoals, AL (consultant)

Director of Planning; Planning and Transportation
Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments

Community Planner I/II
State of Tennessee, Department of Economic and Community Development, Local Planning Assistance Office