Land planner exposes middle school students to neighborhood revitalization projects
Thuy Turner
Thuy Turner completed her Online MBA in 2022 by taking just one class a quarter. Since then, her measured approach has benefitted both her burgeoning land planning business and her volunteer efforts with underserved schoolchildren.
Turner lives in South Florida, where she worked as a planner for Broward County for more than 15 years. She founded Turner Planning Solutions while she was still a student at the Daniels College of Business. As an entrepreneur, she’s become known as a “fixer,” who helps developers navigate complicated government processes.
“The DU program, my classmates and professors gave me the courage to move to the private sector,” Turner said. “During COVID, I was able to take real estate development classes that usually aren’t online. I learned how to do market studies, and now I offer that as a service. I built my business on helping developers by fixing their problems. In my years at the county, I got to know almost everybody and know who to contact.”
Marco Bonilla, an adjunct professor who teaches marketing and business statistics, has been an encouraging voice for Turner.
“Marco’s support helped push me to start my own business. He checks on me every few months and asks thought-provoking questions about my business,” Turner said.
She acknowledged that, while marketing wasn’t her strong suit, she gained valuable insights from Bonilla’s class about building strong business relationships.
“Thuy saw the value in the knowledge within the classroom, where people from a lot of different industries shared their experiences. She now has the flexibility of being able to contribute back to the community because she took that major leap of faith to leave her job and see if she could make it on her own,” Bonilla said.
Turner has found another kind of support in her collaborations with BSD Capital. The two companies partner on infill development projects that provide creative uses for empty storefronts and vacant land, transforming them into income opportunities for residents of disadvantaged communities.
“In Bradenton, there was an old Winn-Dixie grocery store that we turned into the Oneco Farmer’s Market. Mom-and-pop businesses serve Guatemalan, Ecuadorian, Mexican and other ethnic food catering to the area’s farm workers,” she said.
In addition to improving underserved neighborhoods, Turner wanted to expose youth to planning and development processes near their homes and schools. BSD Capital’s Kelly Sharaby embraced the idea. Sharaby founded R.E.A.C.H. Kidz, a nonprofit that partners with local schools. She and Turner run the program together.
“We adopted Olsen Middle School, where nearly all the students qualify for the National School Lunch Program. The same group of 25 students stay with R.E.A.C.H. Kidz for their two years of middle school. During that time, students can learn about the changes going on in their neighborhood, get free lunches and be involved. After successfully completing the two-year program, students are eligible to receive a $2,500 scholarship,” Turner said.
Turner organizes monthly field trips where students are bussed to development sites. Through a speaker series, she brings architects, engineers and other professionals to meet with the students at their school.
Last year, one of the program’s highlights was a student land-use initiative. In a mock commission meeting, students described their dreams for vacant city-owned land. The property sits adjacent to their school, which lacks a playground. Subsequently, the city of Dania Beach made plans to build a park there.
“Even if one kid is excited about going to the profession, that would be great. My vision is a requirement for development projects to connect with a local school for their project kickoff and closure to show students what’s happening in their community,” Turner said.
R.E.A.C.H. Kidz’s close association with Olsen Middle School has opened up other opportunities to help students. After learning the school had a huge attendance problem, this year, the organization launched a campaign called “R.E.A.C.H. for Perfect Attendance” to incentivize student and teacher attendance. Every month, prizes like gift cards and clear backpacks provide extra motivation to get folks in the classroom.
“I think we have a lot of opportunities to give,” Turner said.