.Allen is the Executive Director of the Cape Fear Council of Governments (CFCOG). With over 16 years of experience in local government, land use and transportation planning, and GIS mapping, Allen previously served as Local Government Services Director for the CFCOG as well as the Director of the Cape Fear Rural Transportation Planning Organization. He is experienced at managing complex projects and writing and administering State and federal grant programs and he and his team have assisted many CFCOG member governments with a wide range of technical assistance projects and activities. He holds a Master of Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a certified zoning official in North Carolina and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.