Lance Estep Applying Integrated Planning Expertise for South Carolina and Southeast U.S.
Lance Estep, AICP, PMP, loves South Carolina, the Southeast — and how smart planning can continue shaping the fast-growing region into a preeminent place to live, work and play.
As a new Senior Planning Project Manager in Greenville, South Carolina, Lance brings Freese and Nichols strong planning expertise, an appreciation for local government collaboration and diverse project experience across urban planning, transportation and other disciplines. He’ll put his skills to work helping communities primarily in South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia, areas he knows well.
Lance has spent two decades in city and county planning and community development. His roles have included transportation planner, project manager and planning director of a multistate council of governments. He most recently was a senior transportation project manager for a private firm in Greenville, South Carolina.
Having collaborated with Freese and Nichols while at a client organization, he brings that perspective to his new role, along with an understanding of the firm’s emphasis on client relationships.
“We bring a true planning presence to a region that is hungry for that vision,” Lance said. “The region needs someone who can speak their language and offer solutions, and Freese and Nichols is the perfect firm to do that.”
His experience includes:
Local Government: Insights on city/county needs through planning roles for cities in Kentucky and Texas and with Greenville County, South Carolina, and the Greenville Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Large, Regional Projects: Expertise in consensus building and working across a broad geographic footprint with multiple local government entities as Planning Director for the Appalachian Council of Governments.
Transportation: Appreciation, gained as a county transportation planner, for integrating planning and transportation to shape the region’s roadways and commercial arteries and support smart growth.
“Lance is someone who can speak to all types of planning,” said Chance Sparks, Freese and Nichols’ Urban Planning + Design Group Manager. “When he talks about integrated planning and how to be on the public’s side, he knows what he’s talking about. That matters in a role like this. This is a big geography, but it’s also a great opportunity for someone with the skills and experience Lance has.”
Lance received his master’s in public administration and bachelor’s in geography from East Tennessee State University. He is currently president-elect of the South Carolina chapter of the American Planning Association. He is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners and is a Certified Project Management Professional by the Project Management Institute.