Neil Pade

Adjunct Professor (SPP) and Director of Planning and Community Development, Town of Canton, CT

Neil S. Pade, AICP is a professional planner with thirty years of experience in both public and private sectors. As the Director of Planning and Community Development for the Town of Canton since 2007, he oversees multiple permitting departments and has shaped local policy and development through zoning regulation overhauls, strategic economic development planning, and environmental resource protection.

Neil has led major planning initiatives such as the development of a Form-Based Code for Canton’s historic village center and commercial corridors, a Tax Increment Financing Master Plan for a 25-building mill property, the implementation of over $3.5 million in grant-funded projects, and the development of implementation and monitoring systems for municipal planning. He serves in multiple capacities, including American with Disabilities Coordinator, Affordable and Fair Housing Officer, Floodplain Administrator, and Inland Wetland and Aquifer Protection Agent. Neil is a representative on the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) Vision Zero Task Force, Transportation Committee, Plan of Conservation and Development Steering Committee, and Housing Strategy Advisory Committee.

Neil has also served as a Senior Environmental Planner and Senior Water Resources Engineer in the private sector focusing on environmental impact assessments, utility and transportation planning, and infrastructure and land use analysis.

Neil holds an MBA from the University of Hartford and a BS in Environmental Geology from State University of New York. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a gubernatorial appointee to the Connecticut Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board. His work has been recognized with numerous awards, including honors from the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association, the National Form-Based Code Institute, Smart Growth America, Connecticut Economic Developers Association, and State Main Street Program.