Gary Taylor, professor and extension specialist, community and regional planning, and affiliate SUSAG faculty member, received an ISU Regents Excellence Award for his work on the following:

• Testified on land use policy before the Iowa Legislature, influencing state-level policy decisions.
• Served on the Empower Rural Iowa task force, contributing to legislative recommendations that promoted rural housing, businesses and connectivity.
• Developed the "Introduction to Planning and Zoning" workshops attended by more than 4,100 people in 96 Iowa counties.
• Created the Midwest Planning BLUZ blog that has 700 to 1,000 monthly visits, providing updates on planning laws and case examples.
• Received multiple awards for excellence in extension work, including the Iowa American Planning Association President's Council Leadership Award and national recognition for flood education projects.