Kaylie Williams summer internship
Kaylie William completed an internship program with the Wilson County Development Services Department through the Wilson County Development Services Internship Program. Kaylie is a senior undergraduate student pursuing a BS in Community and Regional Planning.
“Before my internship, I did not know what to expect, as I had little experience in the professional planning field. However, I went in with the mindset that I would gain invaluable insight that would correlate and further enhance what I learned within my educational career. After interning with the Development Services Department, I am more confident within a professional setting and now obtain immeasurable knowledge that directly correlates with and encompasses the planning field. Since the department serves Wilson County, the Development Services team performs and is active in multiple planning roles including forming stormwater management practices for the county, being an active member of the Wilson County Rural Planning Organization regarding transportation, meeting with major companies and businesses interested in developing within the area, to reviewing subdivision plats. I found this quite intriguing as I did not truly realize just how varied levels like cities and counties can be in terms of performance, goals, and management of their given location.”
“I became very familiar with the process of development from submittal to approval, transportation-related projects, the Wilson County UDO, and navigating the location of lots within GIS, which I was familiar with due to classes previously taken. I was also fortunate to intern during June, July, and August since the Development Services Department was undergoing the update and revision of the 2045 Wilson County Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). I was given the responsibility to present any possible UDO revisions that can be put within the Wilson County UDO.”
“I also had the opportunity to join a few of the meetings about stormwater management and the updating of the current Wilson County Comprehensive Plan, which were intriguing. I had learned in class about comprehensive plans and have even reviewed several comprehensive plans including Wilson County’s. However, I had never seen the effort and work that is put into forming these plans. It was truly an honor to take part in the Zoom calls with contractors that were partnering with the Development Services Department and meet with the members of the Wilson County Board of Adjustment for a meeting where the future goals of the county were discussed including ways to preserve the county’s agricultural areas while preparing for future growth.”
“While interning, one thing that I quickly noticed was how often ArcGIS and the UDO of the county are used to perform planning tasks such as location lots, possible subdivisions, zoning, and jurisdictions. I also gained a deeper understanding of the importance of viewing the practice of planning through a long-term approach, in that, what is put into practice may have a series of advantages and/or disadvantages that can benefit or raise issues in the future.”
– Sections borrowed from Kaylie Williams’s internship reflection report