Mary Kay Peck, FAICP, Principal

MKPeck Mary Kay Peck, FAICP founded MKPeck Associates to bring her proven “Journey to Excellence” approach to other government entities seeking to reach measurable performance levels and do better with less, not just more. An innovator by nature, Peck has a proven track record of developing process improvements and improving organizational culture. She is able to quickly establish relationships, build rapport, transform innovative ideas into action and create momentum and team spirit in others.

Peck brings 30 years of local government experience at the city, county and regional level to her practice, providing her the knowledge of how to work with local governments. Her service as a city manager, assistant city manager, community development director and planning director have provided her with a strong depth of knowledge of local government operations.

During her tenure as Henderson city manager, Nevada’s second largest city was recognized by the International Association for City and County Managers for outstanding customer service and for its efforts in measuring and improving performance. The city also received the Trailblazer Award for Organizational Excellence from the Nevada Quality Alliance. It is here that Peck developed her “Journey to Excellence” concept that brought measurable increases in communication and employee satisfaction, rated at 90%!

While president of the American Planning Association, Peck laid the foundation for their first communication plan and led its first membership growth strategy, resulting in a 23 percent increase. She has given numerous presentations and keynote speeches throughout the United States and around the globe on a variety of topics, including leadership, management excellence and planning performance. An accomplished facilitator and trainer, Peck is also a registered education provider for the APA’s AICP Certification Maintenance.

Throughout her career, Ms. Peck has managed a number of award winning projects, including the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition Regional Plan, the Downtown Henderson Investment Strategy, the Henderson Visual Interactive Code, and the Springhill, Montana Community Plan.

Professional Affiliations

International City/County Management Association, Member
American Planning Association, Past National President and Board Member
American Institute of Certified Planners, Fellow
Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute, Board of Directors
Urban Land Institute, Past Chapter Executive Board Member
Southern Nevada Water Managers, Past Member
Regional Transportation Commission Executive Advisory Committee, Past Member
Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition Technical Committee, Past Member

Education

Masters in Urban Planning, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Bachelors of Science, Urban Affairs, University of Evansville