August 29, 2025
At their June meeting, the DVRPC Board elected Tom Stanuikynas, Supervising Planner, Burlington County, to serve as Board Chair for 2026. Get to know more about Tom in this interview.
What did you study in school, and how did you get into planning?
I graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Geography and Regional Planning. Growing up, I was always interested in learning about history, reading maps, and exploring unique places, so planning seemed like a logical career path for me.
Can you tell us about your current role and responsibilities in Burlington County?
In addition to being the County liaison to DVRPC, I am responsible for a variety of projects, which include providing technical assistance to municipalities, managing roadway improvement projects, serving on the planning board, coordinating with State and local agencies, and overseeing working on several regional circulation studies as part of the Route 130/Delaware River Corridor.
How long have you been a member of the DVRPC Board?
I have been a member of the DVRPC Board for just about five years. As a previous DVRPC employee, it is a great privilege to now serve on the Board.
What do you hope to accomplish during your term as Board Chair?
I look forward to working with the DVRPC Board and staff as we advocate for increased funding opportunities to support the various planning initiatives put forward by the nine counties.
What are the biggest challenges facing the Greater Philadelphia region?
Since I have been working in the planning field for the last 30 years, I have noticed that people’s perspectives and preferences have slowly begun to change when it comes to where we live, work, and shop and how we get around. We are moving in the right direction, but there is more to do to persuade the public to choose to live in compact, walkable, people-centric places that offer a diversity of housing choices, protect open spaces, and encourage multiple transportation options in order to reduce vehicle miles traveled and emissions.
What is your favorite place to visit in the region?
I have always enjoyed visiting the Pinelands to hike, camp, canoe, and explore its natural beauty and historical landmarks. The cranberry and blueberry festivals are unique events that everyone should attend at least once.
Where is your favorite place to eat in the region?
I can’t endorse any one particular restaurant but we enjoy dining regularly in Bordentown City and downtown Moorestown. On special occasions, we like to go into the City and try new places to eat in East Passyunk, Fishtown/Northern Liberties, and Center City.
What are the top three places you would like to travel to?
As we just returned from a trip to the West Coast to visit Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Parks, we hope to start traveling internationally in the coming years. Our son has been to Ireland twice and convinced us to make it our next trip. Additionally, as an amateur genealogist, I would like to visit the homeland of my great grandparents in southern Italy and Lithuania.
What makes Greater Philadelphia a great place to live and work?
I think we are fortunate to live in an area with so much diversity and near so many unique and interesting places. We are two hours from the Shore, the Poconos, New York City, and Washington DC. We live in the most densely populated areas in the country but are so close to large stretches of farm fields, small towns, historical sites, coastal estuaries, and a million-acre pine forest. Having great food and the best sports teams to root for doesn’t hurt either.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?Outside of work, I volunteer for the Lithuanian Cultural Center of Philadelphia. We hold our annual Lithuanian Festival the first weekend of November and my wife and I are in charge of making the potato pancakes, also known as blynai. I also volunteer for the Delran Green Team and am a member of Toastmasters, a public speaking organization. In the spring, my wife and I enjoy watching our son play lacrosse at Kean University.