Sparks Receives Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award
Chance Sparks, Urban Planning & Design Group Manager in San Marcos, received the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from the Texas State University College of Liberal Arts.
Texas State recognized Chance at the annual Distinguished Alumni Benefit Gala, which celebrated this year’s alumni award recipients and brought together university President Kelly Damphousse, alumni, supporters, and members of the community.
Chance said the honor was especially meaningful because of his strong ties to the city of San Marcos and Texas State University.
“For me, it’s really beautiful for a few reasons. It’s recognition from the place that trained me and still carries a lot of influence on me,” Chance said. “I never left San Marcos, so I’ve gotten to watch the university grow and recognize that they still pay attention to their alumni and keep up with that.”
Throughout his career, Chance has helped shape communities across Texas and the southeastern United States through award-winning urban planning, downtown revitalization and resilience initiatives. His work has helped communities remove regulatory barriers, improve service delivery, and plan for long-term growth.
Chance described how working in the city of San Marcos motivates him as he helps shape the community where he lives.
“Working in the same community you live in hits differently,” Chance said. “These aren’t just stakeholders; they’re people you see at the grocery store. It’s way more personal, and any time I get to work on a project in San Marcos, it’s fun and meaningful.”
Today, Chance leads Freese and Nichols’ 55-person national Urban Planning and Design Group. He also maintains a strong connection with Texas State and is scheduled to teach an Urban Infrastructure Management course in the Department of Geography this fall.
He said he is excited to teach this course and bring students from different disciplines together.
“I’m excited about it because it’s a crossover class that is accredited for both the planning program and the civil engineering program; one of only a couple of classes like that,” Chance said. “It’s also getting to share some good industry perspective and why civil engineering and planning should be holding hands. Planning makes engineering better. Engineering makes planning better.”
Chance explained that he has stayed connected to Texas State throughout his career by mentoring students, guest lecturing, and sharing what he has learned with young professionals.
Once you’ve climbed your ladder into professional life, the first thing you should do is turn around and put it back down for the next person.
During his 21-year career in the public and private sectors, Chance has guided planning efforts for more than 48 cities and counties across Texas. He is known for integrating data-informed planning, city management, and community engagement to help communities achieve long-term goals.
Chance has helped revitalize downtown districts across Texas and led long-range planning efforts for communities along the State Highway 130 Corridor, known as the state’s “Silicon Prairie” region.
A longtime leader in the American Planning Association, Chance has served in several state and local leadership roles since reviving Texas State University’s Planning Student Organization as a student.
In 2024, Chance was inducted into the American Institute of Certified Planners College of Fellows, the profession’s highest honor, becoming the second-youngest recipient at the time. He is one of only 36 living Fellows in Texas and one of three Freese and Nichols employees to receive the distinction.