Chad Garner is one of the lucky few who knew from a young age what his career path would be – a land planner. When he was young, the Daybreak community was being built near his home and he enjoyed watching the empty spaces come to life. He spent his free time looking at maps, exploring new neighborhoods, and planning out imaginary neighborhoods of his own design, drawn by hand. This hobby continued throughout his teenage years and into college.

Today, as a Land Planner at FOCUS, Chad spends his days collaborating with his teammates creating concept plans for future subdivisions. This includes meeting with clients, visiting job sites, and attending public meetings. Chad and the rest of the land planning team pride themselves on being advocates for their clients, who are equally invested in the success of their projects. The team’s passion and creative problem-solving enable them to develop plans that are not only original but – with the help of Focus in-house civil engineers – implementable.

Chad fondly recalls he and his teammates putting their skills to the test on the Micron Master Plan. The majority of the 1600-acre site, located near Lehi and Draper off Timpanogos Highway, was in the mountains. To add to the challenge of the topography, the client was hands-off and entrusted FOCUS to develop a plan that was suitable. The team did not disappoint. The final product included retail, commercial, high to low-density residential areas, and tech manufacturing facilities.

It could be argued that there isn’t a more enthusiastic land planner in the profession. When asked about his work at FOCUS Chad replies, “Land planning is awesome!” Aside from enthusiasm, what skills should a land planner possess? According to Chad, no two sites are the same; land planners need to have a creative mindset with exceptional problem-solving and communication skills.