Assistant Planner

Thomas Valencia is an Assistant Planner at the McLean County Regional Planning Commission. He joined the MCRPC team in June 2024.

Thomas was born in Waukegan, Illinois and was raised in nearby Zion. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in December 2022 with his B.A. in Urban Studies & Planning degree with Highest Honors. 

While at UIUC, Thomas interned for the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) working with the local safe routes to school program. After graduation, he served as a Transportation Planning Intern at the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) working on a long-range transportation plan, corridor studies, and public engagement. He then worked as a Planning Intern at the City of Highland Park, IL working on zoning variance cases, design reviews, and permit applications.