Debra Allee of AKRF Receives APA NY Metro Chapter Distinguished Service Award

AKRF, Inc.

Debra C. Allee, AICP, a founding partner of AKRF, has received the Distinguished Service Award from the New York Metro Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA). The award recognizes Debra's outstanding, long-term contribution to the planning profession and her specific contribution to the practice of environmental impact assessment.

Debra was honored at the APA New York Metro Chapter's annual Awards Presentation at the Steven L. Newman Real Estate Institute on June 15. The APA is a nonprofit public interest and research organization with a mission to advance the practices of urban and rural planning.

"The effects of Debra's work are far-reaching," said Ethel Sheffer, President of the APA New York Metro Chapter. "She has long been a leader in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) review process, which, at its best, should go hand-in-hand with good planning."

As former President and CEO of AKRF, which is widely recognized as the premier environmental consulting firm in the New York Metropolitan region, Debra has presided over the EISs for the most important public and private developments in New York City in the last 20 years. As one of the lead preparers of the New York City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) Technical Manual, she also helped develop the standards and criteria for environmental review.

"Debra didn't exactly invent the field of EIS review," said Robert Pirani, co-chair of the New York Metro Chapter's Awards Committee, "but she professionalized it. By responding to the various state and federal environmental mandates and putting them into practice, she helped make the Environmental Impact Statement an integral part of planning."

About AKRF

AKRF is the leading environmental planning firm in the New York Metropolitan region. With a professional staff of 170 in five offices in the northeast, the firm brings exceptional depth and technical expertise to its clients. AKRF has prepared literally thousands of Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) and other environmental studies, more than any other firm in New York City.