Best-Laid Plans
Pender County Senior Planner Megan Crowe fields a rapidly growing area
MEGAN CROWE rose quickly through the ranks to become senior planner for Pender County, where she oversees three other planners in a role involving an increasing amount of responsibility in one of North Carolina’s fastest-growing areas.
One of her greatest strengths is working with people, Crowe says, a trait that comes in handy for the twenty-seven-year-old as she goes about her daily tasks.
“I like interacting with people, and I think that this job allows that. Not only do I interact with the boards, explaining the projects and presenting them before the applicants come up, but day to day, I meet with folks from the county,” she says. “So, a lot of my position involves just meeting with folks and giving them the explanation of what we do and what impact they can have.”
Residents might not always realize the level of impact they can have, Crowe says. That can include participating in public hearings when projects come up or presenting information.
Part of the reason more residents – and the commercial growth that comes with them – are flocking to Pender County is that the region’s employment center, Wilmington and New Hanover County, is running out of land. Additionally, retirees are finding new options on the way to Pender County, and the area appeals to families because of top-rated schools in the district.
“We’ve really seen a lot of growth, and we’ll continue to see it just based on the number of lots that have been applied for. You may not see homes there now but the landscape is quickly changing,” Crowe says.
After graduating from SUNY Cortland in New York, Crowe prepared for her role by moving to North Carolina to attend the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She earned her a master’s degree in public administration from UNCW in May 2013 and soon after joined Pender County’s staff.
“I’ve had an incredible opportunity here with the county. I’ve been given a lot of responsibility and just allowed to learn and allowed to kind of grow into this role,” she says.
Outside of work, Crowe enjoys spending time on the water with her husband, Ryan, whom she married this summer. The couple met at Port City Community Church.
As she charts her own course through life, her mind is also on the future of Pender County, where she presents new project to the town boards and is the floodplain manager. Lately, as a result of the growth that Pender County is experiencing and will see in the future, transportation has become a key focus for Crowe and other planners.
“You’re adding more people; you have to add more roads to make it work,” Crowe says.
Hear more from Megan Crowe in the Take 5 feature of WILMA’s October issue.
