Randy Blankenhorn is executive director of CMAP, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (http://www.chicagoareaplanning.org), which is responsible for land use and transportation planning across seven counties -- Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will -- that make up northeastern Illinois.

 CMAP was created through legislation that unanimously passed both houses of the Illinois General Assembly and was signed into law by Gov. Rod Blagojevich on August 8, 2005.  Randy reports to the CMAP Board and is chief executive of this new organization, whose 80-person staff is a merger of the previously separate transportation and land-use planning agencies for northeastern Illinois.  CMAP is integrating specialized expertise in a number of areas—research and analysis, transportation, land use, environment and natural resources, housing, economic and community development, and human services—to preserve and enhance quality of life for current and future generations.

The agency's vision is to develop a comprehensive framework for the region’s future through long-range regional plans and strategies;  to provide high-quality information and analysis through coordinated technical assistance to facilitate regional decision making;  and  to build consensus by identifying and advocating regional priorities.  On September 1, 2006, the CMAP Board issued its strategic report on the agency’s vision, governance, and funding. The report is available at http://www.chicagoareaplanning.org/docs/. 

Prior to joining CMAP in April 2006, he had over 20 years' experience in the planning, development and implementation of transportation infrastructure projects for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).  Before joining IDOT, he served at other state agencies, focusing primarily on policy development, personnel administration, and legislative affairs.  As IDOT Bureau Chief of Urban Program Planning just prior to joining the CMAP, he coordinated the activities of 14 metropolitan planning organizations across the State of Illinois.