The North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association has presented Chapel Hill planning director Ben Hitchings with the organization’s highest honor, the Philip P. Green Distinguished Service Award.

The award is presented to a member who “has made a sustained and substantial contribution to the organization,” according to a release.

Hitchings has served in the state’s APA chapter since 1999, according to the town, holding roles as chair of the Legislative Committee and then as the chapter president.

The North Carolina APA was the first chapter in the country to establish a state-level Great Places initiative while under the leadership of Hitchings. That effort works to “recognize great main streets and other great places in North Carolina, and the communities that sustain them.”

During Hitchings’ tenure as president, the organization also launched a program to highlight the role of planning in building local economies.

Hitchings has been with the Town of Chapel Hill since August and previously served as the planning director for the Town of Morrisville.

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