Born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, Derek McCain is a Senior Development Officer with the City of Cincinnati’s Department of Community and Economic Development department. McCain’s responsibilities include tasks ranging from managing and implementing community and economic development programs and initiatives; developing and restoring quality and affordable housing within the city limits; and serving as a liaison between the City and the community concerning housing, retail, industrial and commercial developments. Before his roles with the City of Cincinnati, McCain worked in a similar capacity with the City of Dayton and Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority.
He graduated from Jackson State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Studies in 2012 and Master of Arts degree in Urban and Regional Planning with a concentration in Housing & Community Development in 2014. His internship was with the City of Jackson’s Office of Planning. In his role, he assisted the Community Improvement program manager with their day to day operations. This experience gave McCain a deep appreciation for how community development seeks to improve the quality of life.
McCain’s goals for the future is to continue to work and serve the community and develop the intellectual qualities necessary for meeting the broad and varied range of problems and challenges associated with urban growth and development. Choosing to obtain a degree in Urban and Regional Planning can have many benefits. His advice for students currently enrolled in the program is to think about your end career goal and ask yourself what part of planning you want to specialize in. Also, he encourages students to network, talk to people in the field, and connect with as many mentors as possible to guide you in the right direction.
Some of the major planning issues and problems confronting Cincinnati and similar US cities he feels include land use, social policy, historic preservation, transportation, housing, economic development, policy planning, environmental protection, and urban design. Planners are dedicated to developing innovative approaches to managing cities and planning their development to combat these issues facing our cities. Lastly, McCain believes that planning is growing in importance throughout the country, and the number of planners is rising rapidly to better the future through improvements in the quality of life in one or more of these areas.