Will Cockrell, AICP

Director, LUEP

Will Cockrell, Director of the Land Use Education Program, spent most of his career in the public sector, working in local government and regional planning. For ten years, Will worked with the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC), serving many roles, including Director of Planning and MPO Coordinator. He managed the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization (CA-MPO), TJPDC Rural Transportation Program, the Planning Program, and Environmental Planning Programming. Before joining the Planning District, Will worked as the senior planner for Louisa County. During that time, he also took on the role of Acting-Director of Community Development. In 2019, Will transitioned to consulting work with EPR, P.C., headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia. In this current role, he assists localities with identifying and achieving their goals. With national experience, Will brings this practitioner and practical experience into the classroom to help students better understand the planning field and the realities of local governance. 

Will holds several leadership positions throughout the Commonwealth. He is on the American Planning Association, Virginia Chapter (APA Virginia) Board, where he has served for over a decade. He filled various roles on the Virginia Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (VAMPO) Board and is currently on the Rural Planning Caucus Board. In 2013, Will started teaching at the University of Virginia, where he currently teaches government and planning methods in the School of Architecture. He is the instructor for the Virginia Association of Zoning Officials’ (VAZO) Certified Zoning Administrator (CZA) and Certified Transportation Manager (CTM) programs. He also trains local elected officials for the Virginia Association of Counties (VACO), through an APA Virginia agreement. 

Will’s professional focus is on planning processes and government implementation. He is a pragmatist who built a career developing detailed knowledge to help localities achieve their planning goals. In 2018, APA Virginia recognized Will with the President’s Award for Leadership.