Fort Worth Assistant City Manager Dana Burghdoff has been named to the 2026 Class of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners, the highest honor awarded by the planning profession, the city announced.
Dana Burghdoff
Burghdoff was selected by the American Planning Association and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, in recognition of her achievements and contributions to planning practice and leadership.
She is one of 55 planners nationwide selected for this year’s College of Fellows.
Fellowship is granted to planners who have achieved certification through the American Institute of Certified Planners and demonstrated excellence in professional practice, teaching and mentoring, research, public and community service, and leadership. Invitations to join the College of Fellows follow a detailed nomination and review process intended to ensure recipients have made a lasting, positive impact on the planning profession.
“Being selected as a fellow for the American Institute of Certified Planners is a tremendous honor for me,” Burghdoff said in a press release. “I’m humbled by the recognition. I thank my peers for recognizing the dedication I have for city planning and making positive change with our community partners here in Fort Worth.”
As assistant city manager, Burghdoff oversees a portfolio that includes the Planning Office and Greenspace Initiatives, as well as the Code Compliance, Economic Development, Library, Neighborhood Services, and Park & Recreation departments.
Before being named assistant city manager in 2020, Burghdoff served for 13 years as Fort Worth’s assistant planning and development director. She previously spent eight years in other planning roles with the city and five years as a planner for the city of Waltham, Massachusetts.
Burghdoff earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in urban studies and planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The American Planning Association is an independent, not-for-profit educational organization dedicated to advancing the planning profession and helping communities create better places for people to live and work. The organization has nearly 40,000 members who collaborate with residents, civic leaders and businesses to shape communities.
The Class of 2026 Fellows will be formally inducted during a ceremony at the National Planning Conference in Detroit on April 26.
