MISSION – On Feb. 23, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Executive Director J.D. Tovey III was announced as a member of the 2026 Class of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners (FAICP).

Tovey, who has an architecture and planning background, joins 54 others from around the nation to be honored by the American Planning Association (APA) and American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) with the prestigious title this year.

“This is the highest honor in the planning profession. The American Planning Association has more than 40,000 members, about 15,000 of whom are AICP-certified. From that group, only 55 planners were inducted into the 2026 College of Fellows class,” Tovey said. “I’ll admit I became emotional when I received the news. It recognizes my professional contributions, but the nomination emphasized my work advancing Indigenous knowledge and practices within the broader planning field. I see this as recognition of that work as well.”

According to the APA, a fellowship is granted to planners who have achieved certification through the APA’s professional institute, the AICP, and have achieved excellence in professional practice, teaching and mentoring, research, public and community service and leadership. Invitations to join the College of Fellows come after a thorough nomination and review process, ensuring the candidate has had a positive, long-lasting impact on the planning profession.

Tovey holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho in landscape architecture, focused on the design of the built environment. He earned his master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Washington, along with a certificate of urban design focusing on the policy and legal side of the built environment. He is also working on his doctorate that focuses on the human educational element of the built environment through the University of Washington.

Before becoming the CTUIR’s executive director in February 2025, Tovey served as a deputy executive director for approximately 16 months. He joined the CTUIR in 2014 as the Planning Office director.

Prior to working at the CTUIR, he was a senior urban designer from 2004 to 2008 in Orlando, Florida, and from 2009 to 2014 he was at the University of Washington as a National Science Foundation Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship research fellow in the Interdisciplinary Program in Urban Design & Planning. 

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to congratulate J.D. on being named a 20226 Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners. His role as our executive director has shown he is a planning professional whose goal is to uplifted tribal voices, honor tribal sovereignty and advanced planning practices rooted in tribal values, environmental stewardship and community wellness,” Board of Trustees Chair N. Kathryn Brigham said. “What sets him apart is not only his professional expertise, but his personal integrity and passion for planning. He understands planning in tribal communities is not a technical exercise alone, but a generational responsibility requiring trust, accountability and commitment to cultural preservation and future generations.”

Working with the Office of Legal Counsel, Tovey helped pave the way for the CTUIR to offer 99-year leases to tribal members wanting to own homes in the CTUIR Nixyáawii Neighborhood, a residential area with parcels allotted for tribal members, elders and veterans. Because the CTUIR is not able to sell land to individuals, the leases provide a path to affordable housing for tribal members.

Tovey has also shown leadership beyond the CTUIR’s lands. In 2023, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek appointed him as the Housing Production Advisory Council co-chair. Its goal was to develop a plan to build 36,000 homes annually in the state to provide affordable housing and keep pace with population growth. He has also educated other planners, institutions and the State of Oregon about the importance of tribal planning principles. His contributions have culturally relevant planning models that have benefited other tribal nations and the broader planning profession.

“I have always been active professionally, academically and in volunteer roles. I’ve created and hosted seminars on Indigenous knowledge in planning and have led sessions at nearly every National Planning Conference over the past 11 years, as well as at Oregon, Washington and Idaho conferences,” he said. “I encourage tribal youth to consider careers in planning. Planning turns ideas into action.”

Tovey said he plans to attend the FAICP induction ceremony on April 26 in Detroit as part of the 2026 National Planning Conference and will speak in a session titled “Solving the Housing Crisis in Indian Country.”