Meet R3

Sydney Turner, Director of Regional Planning, Region 1 Planning Council

Sydney began working on the Rockford Region’s first Regional Plan for Sustainable Development, also known as Vital Signs. This experience introduced her to the positive impact holistic regional planning could have in a community. In 2015, she joined Region 1 Planning Council (R1), still in its infancy, as a Research Associate for the Economic Development District. While working on the cross-collaborative project teams at R1, Sydney developed a passion for transportation planning and quickly transitioned to leading transportation and land use projects, including the Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan for the Rockford Region and the City of Loves Park’s Comprehensive Plan. In 2020, Sydney Turner was asked to take on a leadership role at R1 as the Director of Regional Planning, overseeing transportation, land use, environmental, and sustainability projects. She led the EV Readiness Plan for the Rockford Region and serves on several statewide EV readiness committees.

Haley Dahl, Student & Creator of Green Exploration: Rockford, University of Illinois at Chicago

Originally from the Rockford region, Haley is currently a civil, materials, and environmental engineering major with a minor in sustainable cities at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Additionally, she is a member of UIC’s NCAA division 1 women’s track & field team. Currently, she is working as a water resources engineering intern at Stantec Inc., as part of their Chicago water group. Recently, she has accepted a full-time job with Stantec and will begin her career as a civil designer in the Chicago water group, starting in June of 2024. Regarding her professional goals, she is interested in becoming a water resources/environmental engineer, where she aims to be directly involved in the design and implementation of inclusive, green and resilient/sustainable infrastructure to help alleviate the plethora of environmental and social issues society faces today. With this practical experience, she aims to be an informed leader and positively influence environmental decision-making to benefit everybody within this country and across the globe.

Austin Powell, Sustainability Project Associate, Region 1 Planning Council

Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Austin graduated from Furman University in 2020 with a Bachelors of Science in Sustainability Science. He currently serves as the Sustainability and Project Associate for Region 1 Planning Council working on a variety of topics such as climate action planning, solid waste implementation, and air quality planning.