Harry West recently joined the CQGRD as Professor of Practice. Mr. West has more than 45 years experience managing and planning public projects and reviewing private development proposals. Early in his career he was the County Manager of Fulton County, Georgia's largest and most diverse county as well as home to the City of Atlanta. Major public works projects, capital improvement budgets and bond funds were a part of his responsibility.

For twenty-eight years (1972-2000), Mr. West was employed by the Atlanta Regional Commission, the comprehensive planning agency for the Atlanta metropolitan area. For twenty-seven years he was the ARC's Executive Director. The ARC is the designated MPO for transportation planning along with other functional areas such as economic development, water supply, waste water management, parks and open space, and land use along the Chattahoochee River Corridor. During his tenure at the ARC, Mr. West was responsible for the preparation and update of three Regional Development Plans, three Regional Transportation Plans, numerous sub-area and corridor plans, alternatives analysis, and major investment studies. Plans for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), local bus service, Regional Airport Systems Plans and in most cases programming the capital investments necessary for implementation were also accomplished under his direction.

Prior to joining the CQGRD, Mr. West held a senior position with Parsons Corporation, participating in the management, planning, public involvement, and agency coordination aspects of EIS projects in Colorado and Florida, strategic transportation planning in Connecticut, Maglev feasibility and DEIS in Georgia, a comprehensive HOV study for the Atlanta area, a comprehensive long-range transportation plan for Puerto Rico and a feasibility study of commuter rail in the Detroit Metropolitan area.

Mr. West earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration from University of Georgia followed by an Associate of Science in Public Affairs from the National Institute of Public Affairs, a M.A. in Public Administration from University of Georgia and completed the program for State and Local Government Executives at Harvard University.