Charlie Handy

Charlie Handy, is the County Planner and Community Development Manager with La Crosse County. Charlie has over 30 years of experience in both city and county planning. He has a B.S. Degree in Landscape Architecture from UW Madison with a strong background in construction, physical engineering and urban planning. Charlie also has significant experience with land conservation, farmland preservation. He feels his strong suit is his ability to encourage more reserved people to participate in public engagement. His main focus in planning is diversity, equity and respect.

Charlie started in the private sector as a landscape architect; moved into local government as a deputy planner for the City of Onalaska; then in the Natural Resource field as an urban conservation specialist and land conservation director. In 2002 he became the County Planner for La Crosse County. In 2022 he moved into the role of Community Development Manager for La Crosse County.

He grew up on a small farm in Tomah, Wisconsin. He and his wife Kristin have five adult children. His family has hosted six teenage international students over a period of more than 10 years while his children were growing up.