Wendell Legacy Impact Award
2026 Wendell Legacy Impact Award
Savannah-Nicole Villalba, AICP, AZT
The Women & Planning Division is honored to announce the recipient of the 2026 Wendell Legacy Impact Award, Savannah-Nicole Villalba, AICP, AZT. Among other notable accomplishments, Savannah-Nicole conceived and facilitated an innovative Youth Summit that not only introduced high school students to the planning profession, but also empowered them to become active participants in shaping their community's future. Her fearless willingness to develop a new model for youth engagement, overcome challenges with determination, and champion the idea that young people deserve a meaningful voice in planning exemplify the inspirational leadership the Wendell Award seeks to recognize and celebrate. Congratulations, Savannah-Nicole!
Savannah-Nicole "SN" Villalba, AICP, AZT, is the Principal Housing Planner for the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG), located in Hartford, Connecticut. SN provides technical assistance on housing planning and policy to 38 municipalities in the Greater Hartford area. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Urban and Community Studies from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Arts in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University. SN is currently a 4L in the University of Connecticut School of Law's Evening Division.
Prior Honorees
2027 Wendell Legacy Impact Award
2027 Wendell Legacy Impact Award nominations will open early next year. Please consider nominating yourself or another exceptional woman in planning. Thank you!
Overview
The Wendell Legacy Impact Award is the Women & Planning Division's most prestigious honor. Awarded annually, the Wendell Award recognizes and celebrates Division members building a legacy through their practice, research, and service and exemplifying bold leadership, community impact, and sustained contributions advancing women in planning.
The Wendell Award:
- Celebrates and recognizes unsung heroes and the tireless work of women making an impact on their communities and the profession.
- Recognizes innovative ideas, passion projects, or initiatives advancing women in planning.
- Elevates equity-driven, values-based leadership rooted in legacy, celebration, and impact.
- Encourages women to recognize and celebrate their OWN self-worth, own the impacts of their contributions to the planning profession, and flex their success.
The Wendell Legacy Impact Award is not a scholarship, grant, or reimbursement. It is a celebration—an intentional act of naming, recognizing, and honoring sustained impacts advancing women in planning. The award provides a $4,000 honorarium and a commemorative glass award appropriate for display. There are no restrictions on the recipient's use of award funds.
Eligibility
- Applicants may self-nominate or submit a nomination on behalf of another WPD member (the Division will confirm acceptance of nomination prior to awarding recognition).
- Nominees must be a current member of the APA Women & Planning Division.
- Nominee may not be a sitting member of the WPD Executive Committee or a previous recipient of the Wendell Award.
Wendell Legacy Impact Award: Learn More
Too often, women’s transformative planning contributions go unrecognized. The Wendell Legacy Impact Award is the Division’s way of celebrating that work, elevating those voices, and creating space for joy, affirmation, and professional belonging. The Wendell Award is not a scholarship, grant, or reimbursement. It is a celebration—an intentional act of naming, recognizing, and honoring women whose contributions shape the present and future of our profession.
The Wendell Award is endowed by the generous contributions of APA Women & Planning Division leaders, past and present. These women - role models and tireless advocates for women in the planning profession - exemplify the ideals the Wendell Award seeks to celebrate and recognize.
Award Founder
Corrin Wendell, AICP | Past Division Chair 2019-2022
Award Sustainers
Caroline Dwyer, AICP | Division Chair, 2023-present