T.J. Fish, AICP
Now serving as the first executive director of the Lake~Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), T.J. is an urban and regional planner certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). His current duties include the coordination of regional transportation planning for 16 local governments in the Lake-Sumter region. Prior to the MPO, he provided planning services to five Lake County municipalities, Tavares, Minneola, Lady Lake, Montverde, and Astatula.
Born in Johnson City, TN, he completed both undergraduate and graduate work at East Tennessee State University, where he earned a Master of Public Management degree. He gained experience in governmental roles including previous MPO work for two Tennessee counties, planning for eight small and mid-sized cities in both east and west Tennessee, and as economic development director for Martin, TN.
He met his wife Amye while in the same graduate school program. Both planners, they live in Tavares and take part in many professional groups relative to the planning and public administration fields. He is a 2005 graduate of Leadership Lake County, in which he was elected class president. He is active in community activities which include serving on the Board of Directors of the Performing Arts of Lake & Sumter and the Leadership Lake County Alumni Board. He also serves as President of the Tavares Chamber of Commerce, Secretary of Lake County Chamber Alliance and as the Lake County Director for the Orlando-Metro section of the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association.
As the first director of the Lake~Sumter MPO, he states his goal is to serve the community by effectively planning for the transportation needs of a quickly growing region. He thinks the best way to achieve this goal is by coordinating the wishes of the various communities into one comprehensive vision that is supported by consensus.