Owen Beitsch, PhD, FAICP, CRE has been active in the management and execution of complex studies for public and private clients for many years. His particular interest in special issues confronting urban areas is demonstrated by both his civic and business activities. Owen is a founding member of the Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation for which he served as Chairman for four years. He recently concluded eight years of service as a member of the Orlando Housing Authority Board of Commissioners. As a resident of Winter Park, Florida, Dr. Beitsch served as assistant chair of the City’s Economic Advisory Board, as well as a member of the Planning and Zoning Board; during this time, he also served on other ad hoc committees exploring policy issues for both Orlando and Winter Park. Dr. Beitsch is currently the elected chair of the Xentury City Community Development District, which oversees a major tourist area proximate to Disney World.

Owen was asked to join the Counselors of Real Estate in 1990, a group open only by invitation and normally focused on valuation issues. He previously served on the group’s editorial board and was assistant editor of Real Estate Issues, the organization’s refereed journal. In 2010, Owen was named a Fellow in the American Institute of Certified Planners, the highest honor bestowed in the urban planning profession and awarded to only three percent of those achieving certification (AICP). He was named as the outstanding alumnus of University of Central Florida’s College of Health and Public Affairs (COHPA) in 2011.

Owen remains active at COHPA where he has been a member of the urban planning faculty since 1996. Germane to his consulting and academic responsibilities, Owen speaks and publishes often. Owen attended Vanderbilt University, University of Florida, and Florida State before receiving his PhD from the University of Central Florida.