NOVEMBER 13-15, 2019 Mount Washington Hotel, Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

LIVE. ‘Work.’ PLAY. PLAY. PLAY. PLAY. PLAY.

CONFERENCE ORGANIZING GROUP

Kerrie Diers Esq AICP, Normandeau Associates

Conference Chair

Donna Benton AICP, City of Dover, NH

Amanda Bunker, Community Planning Studio

Mark Connors AICP, Town of Bedford, NH

John Edgar AICP, Town of Meredith, NH

NNECAPA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Sarah Marchant AICP

Chapter President

Rita Seto AICP

Benjamin Frost Esq. AICP

Carl Eppich AICP

Jeffrey Levine AICP

Carol Eyerman AICP

Kerrie Diers Esq. AICP

Meagan Tuttle AICP

Jared Woolston AICP

Scott Osgood, P.E.

Alex Weinhagen

Clay Mitchell, Ph.D.

Welcome to Bretton Woods!

Carol Eyerman AICP, Town of Gorham, Maine

Benjamin Frost Esq. AICP, NH Housing

Sarah Marchant AICP, City of Nashua, NH

Linda McGhee, City of Nashua, NH

Meagan Tuttle AICP, City of Burlington, VT

Nancy Kilbride, Events Your Way, LLC

On behalf of the NNECAPA Executive Committee and the 2019 NNECAPA Conference Organ-izing Group, welcome to the 2019 Annual Conference of the Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association! We hope you find the Conference interesting, informa-tive, interactive and engaging. Most of all, we hope you have fun!

This event would not be possible without the tireless efforts of Event Planner Nancy Kilbride, of Events Your Way LLC, and the thousands of volunteer hours contributed by Conference Chair Kerrie Diers, and the members of the Conference Organizing Group listed below. We are especially thankful to the sponsors of this event, listed on the back cover of this program, without whose continuing support this conference could not be possible.

Again, welcome! We are delighted to have you.

LIVE ‘WORK’ PLAY PLAN

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

3:00 to 6:00 pm Registration

4:00 to 5:00 pm NNECAPA Executive Meeting (Washington Boardroom)

6:00 to 9:00 pm Welcome Reception & ‘Behind the Scenes’ Hotel Tours

Author Dan Szczesny will share tales from his book “The White Mountain: A Year in the Life of Mount Washington, exploring the mountain’s hidden culture and allure. Heavy appetizers will be served and a cash bar available. The discussion will be followed by a “behind the scenes” tour of the Mount Washington Hotel. Built between 1900 and 1902 by 250 Italian artisans, the National Historic Landmark is one of the last remaining grand hotels of the White Mountains. It is best known as the site of the 19-day United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in 1944, which established the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

9:00 to 11:00 pm Social Networking

Conference attendees will enjoy some networking and social fun at The Cave, a speakeasy style space located in the depths of the hotel.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

7:00 to 9:00 am Breakfast and Registration - Grand Ballroom

8:30 to 8:45 am Welcome Remarks

Presented by NNECAPA President Sarah Marchant and Conference Chair Kerrie Diers

8:45 to 10:00 am Keynote Address

“Bringing and Building Capacity for Communities,” presented by Julie Renaud Evans, Program Director for the Northern Forest Center

Ms. Renaud Evans will share the Center’s approach to community and economic development through stories of successful projects across the region that are innovative, long term, asset focused and place based. The Center recognizes that technological, societal, and economic changes have drastically disrupted the region and we believe that innovative and entrepreneurial creativity that reengages us with our forests will play a vital role in reinventing our communities. Hear how the Center both builds and brings capacity to rural communities in order to retain and attract residents, stabilize institutions, provide investment funds, and create bold possibilities in Northern Forest communities.

Conference Tracks

THE CAVE

GRAND BALLROOM

GRAND BALLROOM

PRESIDENTIAL BALLROOM

Meet in the lobby for hotel tours

10:00 to 10:30 am Coffee Break and Visits to Exhibitor tables (Presidential Foyer)

10:30 to 11:45 am Breakout Sessions I

Planning for Equity in Northern New England

Kim Lundgren & Angela Cleveland, Kim Lundgren Assoc. & Sarah Marchant, City of Nashua

It is important for planners to recognize the past and present role that the planning profession has played in creating and perpetuating discriminatory practices against communities of color LGBTQ communities, women, and persons with disabilities. However, the American Planning Association is committed to being more mindful of avoiding these impacts and how we support diverse, equitable and inclusive communities. The Planning for Equity Policy Guide reaffirms that commitment to promote equity and explicitly remove barriers in policies and regulations that perpetuate inequity in the United States. This session will provide a deep dive into the Planning for Equity Policy Guide, explore Planners' roles and responsibilities in advancing the Policy Guide recommendations, and provide robust examples of where planners are already implementing these recommendations around New England.

Four Cities, Four Stories: Exploring planning efforts in NH’s coastal cities

Steve Whitman, Resilience Planning (moderator); Peter Stith, City of Portsmouth Donna Benton, City of Dover; Shanna Saunders, City of Somersworth; Jim Campbell, City of Rochester

The four coastal New Hampshire cities of Portsmouth, Dover, Somersworth, and Rochester are committed to reinforcing and re-imagining their downtowns; reconnecting with their wa- terfronts; and addressing other natural resource and resilience based issues in different but complimentary ways. Join us for a series of four ignite talks (5-10 minutes each) to learn more about this seacoast corridor, the strategies they are using, and the results they have realized.

Living with the Golden Goose: Managing Land Use in Resort Communities

Tara Bamford, Community Planning Consultant; Joshua Schwartz, Mad River Valley Planning District

Resort communities have unique challenges and opportunities. This session will include case studies of four New Hampshire planning boards that have undertaken comprehensive planning and zoning updates in recent years - the Coos County Planning Board, with jurisdiction over 23 of New Hampshire’s 25 Unincorporated Places including the Balsams Resort; Haverhill’s Mountain Lakes District; Waterville Valley; and Carroll, home of the Omni Mount Washington Resort – along with Vermont’s unique three-town Mad River Valley Planning District. These planning jurisdictions are quite different from each other, but all five I include a large outdoor recreation resort that is key to both the tax base and to the quality of life. Drivers of change over the years have included the needs of today’s tourism industry, increased knowledge and acceptance of environmental protection tools, and shifting priorities as a year-round population was established. Discussion will focus on lessons learned and key takeaways for success.

Pop-up Planning: Short-Term Projects for Long-Term Change

Rebecca Stone, Community Workshop, LLC & Catherine Bryars, Bennington County RC

Pop-up projects are fun, but they're also one of the smartest planning strategies around. Quick, temporary, inexpensive projects and demos can be invaluable tools to build support for long-term change, create energy and attract volunteers, demonstrate complex ideas,

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build local capacity, gather data, make rapid improvements to public spaces, and experiment with potential designs or options. This panel session will dig into the best ways to plan, design and create pop-up projects with impact. We'll introduce a number of different types of projects, best practices for setting up pop-ups that catalyze longer-term impacts, and stories of towns that have strategically used pop-ups to test and refine long-term livability projects.

11:45 to 1:00 pm Lunch & Exhibitor Table Visits (Grand Ballroom)

1:00 to 2:15 pm Plenary Session

“Storytelling for Advocacy,” presented by Jason Jordan and Liz Lang of the American Planning Association

Stories surround us. They help us understand the world and our place in it. Studies show that stories shape opinions and are vital for influence. They are powerful tools that help targeted audiences understand complex issues in a new way that can reframe and reshape how people see planning. Today’s political climate makes it particularly challenging to communicate the value of good planning. How we tell the stories of planning has a critical impact on our ability to promote good policies for the communities we serve. Planners can be the chief storytellers for their communities helping people and elected officials understand change, find a vision for the future, and advance the policy changes needed to achieve that vision. This session will discuss communications lessons and strategies from the world of marketing, communications, and political campaigns that can help planners succeed as storytellers. APA policy and communications staff will detail the role of storytelling in influencing opinion and framing critical policy debates. Find out how to find, hone, and present persuasive stories, as well as how to use them for advocacy. Discover what APA is doing to expand support for planning and advance the planning agenda.

2:30 to 3:45 pm Breakout Sessions II

Lovable Infill

Robert White, GPI / Greenman Pedersen Inc.; Ivy Vann, Ivy Vann Town Planning & Urban Design; Sarah Wrightsman, Workforce Housing Coalition of the Greater Seacoast; Robin LeBlanc, Plan NH; Michael Castanga, Castanga Consulting Group; Wm. North Sturtevant, JSA Inc.

Often when towns and cities ask existing neighborhoods to allow historically appropriate density, the response is overwhelmingly discouraging. Residents in the neighborhood imagine the worst: big dumb apartment buildings, cars parked in front yards, stigmatized low income biases, and intrusive music from accessory dwelling units. This panel will present a range of possibilities for getting to ‘yes’ in these situations tapping multiple design options: Missing middle typologies and form-based codes to guide new buildings to match neighborhood character; cottage clusters instead of big apartment buildings; repurposing of existing buildings, and contextual ADU’s. The design and financial strategies for housing infill that’s a good neighbor, preserve the existing neighborhood streetscapes and provide virtually invisible density.

It Takes a “Village” to Revitalize a Historic Downtown Block

Susan Westa, Windham Reg. Commission; William Colvin, Bennington County Industrial Corporation Gabrielle Ciuffreda, M&S Development

It Takes a “Village” to Revitalize a Historic Downtown Block. Session attendees will learn about many the partners involved in revitalization of the Putnam Block in downtown Bennington. It truly takes a “Village” of state, regional, local, public and private partners to move a complex historic revitalization effort forward. Vermont’s downtowns are rich with opportunities for employment and housing. This session will discuss the various funding sources used for remediation, the challenges associated with the project, and the “lessons learned” for future complex, downtown rehabilitation projects. We will also touch on the importance of such funding in making a larger redevelopment project financially viable.

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The Value Chain: Supporting the Outdoor Recreation Economy by Leveraging Shared Assets

Alex Belensz, North Country Council; Sally Manikian, The Conservation Fund Chris Thayer, Appalachian Mountain Club; Joshua Schwartz, Mad River Valley Planning District

How can communities and regions connect their existing and desired outdoor recreation assets to economic opportunity and advance systemic change and wide economic impact? How often, In approaching decision making, do we incorporate known and demonstrated demand as part of the planning process? One method is the Value Chain approach, which supports planning and decision-making that benefits the entire local or regional economic system while ensuring mutual benefit to individual businesses and communities. For the outdoor recreation economy, this is accomplished by collaboratively identifying and leveraging shared outdoor recreation assets, designing strategies that match up with individual and shared interests, and keeping a focus on demand – both local demand and tourism demand.

Federal Law Risk Management for Planners (90 minute CM law session)

Katherine B. Miller, Esq., DTC Lawyers; Tim Corwin, Esq., AICP, Lebanon, NH Ben Frost, Esq., AICP, New Hampshire Housing

Federal law – Constitutional law in particular – has always been part of what planners need to know to do their jobs properly. “After all, if a policeman must know the Constitution, then why not a planner?” asked Justice Brennan in San Diego Gas & Electric Co. v. City of San Diego, 450 U.S. 621, 661 n. 26 (1981). But things keep changing! This session will provide planners with practical advice on how to deal with some current major issues in Federal law. Speakers will focus on the following areas: takings litigation, especially implications of the recent Knick case; sign regulation after Reed; the current state of religious land use litigation; and telecomm law. The panel will offer important take-aways and specific practice tips to help you support your land use boards and stay out of court.

3:45 to 4:15 pm Break & Exhibitor Table Visits (Presidential Foyer)

4:15 to 5:30 pm Breakout Sessions III

Siting a New Homeless Services Center in Portland: Process summary and lessons learned

Christian Roadman, City of Portland, Maine

After City leadership decided to replace Portland's existing homeless services center, the Planning Department identified potential sites for a new facility. Starting with a list of all City- owned properties, staff whittled the number of potential sites to fourteen. Direction from City Councilors reduced the list to three final candidate sites, each with distinct opportunities and challenges. This presentation outlines the process Planning staff used to narrow the original universe of options, the tools they used for analysis, and lessons learned from the process.

Resort Village Placemaking: Parallels with your community master plan

Mark Hamelin and Michael Willard, VHB; Sam Gaines, Spruce Peak Realty

Explore the parallel relationship between the Master Planning of resort villages and Community Master Planning in your town. Discussion topics to include: Design: Sense of place, creation of the public realm, wayfinding, public transportation vehicular/pedestrian circulation, integration of Green Infrastructure. Operations: Event programming, flexibility of exterior public space, durability of materials, life cycle / energy costs, maintenance, security Branding: Creation and preservation of the brand, market strategies and target audience.

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6:00 to 7:00 pm

7:00 to 9:00 pm

9:00 to 11:00 pm

Gender, Ethics, and the Great Outdoors (90 minute Ethics Session)

Sally Manikian, The Conservation Fund (Moderator); Rosy Metcalfe, Rise VT; Marianne Leberman, US Forest Service; June Hammond Rowan, Plymouth State University

This session will feature a panel of speakers to address how we view traditional gender roles relative to our interaction with the natural environment, and why we must challenge those views to help create an inclusive outdoor economy. The discussion will be framed, in part, within the AICP Code of Ethics, but it will speak to broader issues of ethics and inclusion that reflect the aspirational principles of the Code.

Cocktails & Conversation

Or you know, just cocktails...

Buffet Dinner and NNECAPA Awards Presentations (Grand Ballroom)

Social Networking (The Cave)

Friday, November 15, 2019

8:00 to 10:00 am Breakfast Buffet

8:30 to 9:30 am NNECAPA Business Meeting

9:45 to 11:00 am Breakout Sessions IV

Tiny, Accessory, & Short-term - At the Crossroads of Housing Innovation and Reform

Kevin Geiger, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission; Ben Frost, New Hampshire Housing ; Lee Jay Feldman, Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission

As housing preferences and needs change, planners are increasingly asked to address issues associated with “new” housing forms and technologies. Speakers will focus on three major areas: tiny houses, accessory dwelling units, and short-term rentals – all of which are having an impact on our communities as people seek housing alternatives in an increasingly tight market.They’ll provide practical advice on how your communities can approach these issues, andparticipants are encouraged to bring their own thorny housing problems for consideration by the panel.

Complainers to Supporters: Digital tools to positively engage citizens

Nicholas Floersch, Stone Environmental

Government is often seen as being apart from the citizens it serves, and thus becomes the target of complaints that might be discussed in a more civil manner if it were just two equal citizens talking about an issue. Instead of people saying "oh you work for us" we hear "oh, you work for the government." The disconnect between the citizens of a municipality and their own government is often driven by a lack of transparency that ultimately disengages "the public" from the institutions that support it. Montpelier, Vermont has had these same issues and wanted to take some action to share with the public that was constantly complaining about the operations of the department of public works. The DPW worked with a local data management consultant to see how it could engage the complaining citizens, and turn them into supporters. We will discuss the problem, the need, and a possible solution to help improve transparency and (re)engage citizens to hopefully get them to stop complaining about their government, and start supporting it.

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Updating the New England Town Forest for the 21st Century

J.T. Horn, Trust for Public Land– Montpelier; Julie Renaud Evans, Northern Forest Center John Edgar, Town of Meredith, NH

Join representatives from The Trust for Public Land (TPL) and the Town of Meredith, NH for an overview of community forests in Northern New England focusing on how they deliver open space, economic, recreational and ecological benefits to local communities. The workshop will focus on how a community forest is different than the traditional town forest or other conserved lands and how it can be tailored to fit unique community needs. Discussion topics will include maximizing community engagement through the conservation acquisition process leading to a wider array of community benefits and the funding model leverages municipal contributions with state, federal and private grants. The Town of Meredith will share its experience acquiring the Page Pond Community Forest. Additional case studies from Bethel, ME and West Windsor, VT will be highlighted including to engage local organizations, and schools as cooperators.

11:15 to 12:30 pm Breakout Sessions V

Out of the Ivory Tower, Into the Real World

Christa Daniels, Antioch University & Steve Whitman, Resilience Planning

What are you curious about? What would you like to have a deeper understanding of so you could be a resource for your community, your clients, and a change maker? In recent years, there has been a move to include resilience principles into a wider urban sustainability practice as a promising tool for improving community planning. This session will follow the journey of two planners who had deep questions and pursued them through established degree programs. It will highlight the insights gained by Christa and Steve in this process, and distill how you can approach your own research or planning efforts. One research project will summarize the best practices of using a 4D landscape visualization project (images and meaningful dialogue) to increase public engagement on the issue of climate resilience. The other research project will summarize the findings from a nationwide review of Green Infrastructure Plans, and lessons learned for Northern New England. This session will summarize the journey, findings, and best practices of these two researchers followed by some takeaways on how to pursue your research .topics.

Work/Life Balance for Planners

Donna Benton, City of Dover; James Burdin, Strafford Regional Planning Commission Sarah Marchant, City of Nashua; Ben Smith, North Star Planning Carol Eyerman, Town of Gorham, Maine

Planners are professionally concerned with ensuring that our communities provide opportunities for residents and visitors to live, work, and play, but we don't always plan our own lives to ensure those same opportunities for ourselves. Join us for a roundtable discussion about effective strategies for maintaining work/life balance in the public sector. Expected topics may include adapting to parenthood as a working planner, acting as a caregiver to an aging relative, coping with evening meetings, and/or volunteering in your community without "burning out". Plus as a supervisor, how do you handle your staff balancing work/life needs.

The Town Forest Planning Toolkit: Supporting recreation planning in small towns

Mark Kane, SE Group

Beginning in 2017 SE Group worked with VT Urban & Community Forestry Program (VT UCF) and an inter-agency working group of Vermont state agencies and the UVM Extension’s Tourism Research Center to engage 10 select communities in a robust planning process to

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develop action-based town forest recreation plans. An important overarching goal was to create a road map, The Town Forest Planning Toolkit, which provides all communities with an established and proven process to create plans for their own town forest. This session will include an overview of the project and discussion of the toolkits that were prepared.

12:45 to 2:00 pm Lunch and Closing Session (Grand Ballroom)

“The Moose: How one fledgling non-profit initiative took seven small towns into two million Facebook feeds,” presented by Shayna Sylvia, Strafford Regional Planning Commission, Denise Roy-Palmer, Wentworth Economic Development Corporation, and Barbara Neville Wilson, Explore Moose Mountains.

2:00 to 2:15 pm Closing Remarks and Raffle Drawings

TARA BAMFORD, Community Planning Consultant

Tara Bamford is an independent community planning consultant whose passion is bringing

innovation and common sense solutions to small towns. She has over 30 years of hands-

on experience, including many years at Upper Valley Lake Sunapee RPC in western N.H.

where she served as Executive Director for several years, and later as Planning Director at

North Country Council serving the northern third of the state. Tara has consistently been

on the leading edge of innovations in planning, beginning her career in N.H. as one of the

first planners to utilize GIS for land use planning and analysis. Tara authored four model

ordinances published in the award-winning NHDES Innovative Land Use Planning Tech-

niques: A Handbook for Sustainable Development. She is NNECAPA’s volunteer Project

Manager for the New Ruralism project, partnering with APA’s Small Town and Rural Plan-

ning Division (STAR) to gather nation-wide case studies for an on-line resource library on

sustainable locally-driven solutions to everyday problems. Tara and her partner live in Ver-

mont, work in New Hampshire, and visit their land in Maine’s Washington County whenev-

er possible.

ALEX BELNSZ, North Country Regional Planning Commission

Alex Belensz is a Planner with North Country Council Regional Planning Commission (the

Council) based in Littleton, New Hampshire. The Council is the regional planning agency

serving 50 communities and 25 unincorporated places in the northern third of New Hamp-

shire, with a mission to encourage effective community and regional planning for the de-

velopment of economic opportunity and the conservation of natural, cultural and economic

resources. Alex’s work with the Council straddles transportation, environmental, and com-

munity planning. In addition, he serves as the northern at-large member of the New Hamp-

shire Complete Streets Advisory Committee and as the Vice Chair of New Hampshire’s Con-

necticut River Valley Resource Commission. Alex’s work prior to joining the Council includ-

ed working as both as a field technician and a research consultant for federal lands recre-

ation and transportation planning efforts. Alex holds a Master’s of City and Regional Plan-

ning from Rutgers University. Outside of the office, he can usually be found exploring the

region’s woods, trails, and back roads via foot, bike, or skis.

DONNA BENTON, City of Dover, NH

Donna Benton, AICP is a City Planner for Dover, NH, the state’s fastest growing city. Her

responsibilities include overseeing the Technical Review Committee including all plan re-

view, the Dover Transportation Center, the Community Trail including two TAP projects and

the Advisory Committee, revising regulations and Master Plan Chapters, and managing

special projects for the City such as the creation of the Customer Service Center. She

serves on COAST’s Board of Directors as well as the Northern New England Rail Passenger

Authority Station Operators for the Amtrak Downeaster. Prior to Dover, Donna worked in

Merrimack, NH and had two paid NH Municipal Association fellowships in Dover, NH and

Newmarket, NH. Donna has served on the New Hampshire Planners Association Executive

Board since 2014 serving as the Public Information Officer.

Donna holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of New Hampshire and

a Bachelor’s of Science in Tourism Planning and Development from the University of New

Hampshire with minors in Environmental Resource Economics and Community and Envi-

ronmental Planning. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and son.

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CATHERINE BRYARS, Bennington County Regional Comm., VT

Catherine Bryars AICP, is a senior planner and Community Planning Program Manager for

the Bennington County Regional Commission. With degrees in Environmental Studies (BA

– Amherst College) and Regional Planning (MRP- UMass Amherst), Catherine is interested

in integrated solutions for sustaining soils, water, and communities over time. As a gradu-

ate student she researched community urine diversion projects in the US and in Mexico

and as a planning professional she counsels towns on infrastructure investments and

aims to diversify the range of sanitation options available to towns and villages. Catherine

and her partner, Flavio, garden avidly and balance their lives between the US and Chiapas,

Mexico. Catherine serves on the Board of Directors for the Rich Earth Institute.

JAMES BURDIN, Strafford Regional Planning Commission, NH

James Burdin, AICP is a regional economic development planner for Strafford Regional

Planning Commission (SRPC). He oversees SRPC’s brownfield assessment program and

comprehensive economic development strategy, provides “circuit-rider” planning services

to the towns of Northwood and Farmington, and assists with other master planning pro-

jects. James moved to New Hampshire from Columbus, OH where he was a zoning planner

for the City of Columbus. James received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North

Carolina, and master’s degrees in Education and City and Regional Planning from The Ohio

State University.

JAMES CAMPBELL, City of Rochester, NH

James Cambell AICP is the Director of Planning & Development for the City of Rochester,

NH. He began working as Rochester’s Chief Planner in 2012 before being promoted to the

Director position in 2014. Previously, he was the Director of Planning & Community Devel-

opment in Durham, NH and was the Planning Director and Health Officer in Bar Harbor, ME

before taking the Durham position. Jim has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration

from American University in Washington, DC and has a BA in Political Science from Temple

University in Philadelphia, PA. He completed the New Hampshire’s Professional Certificate

Program in Economic Development in 2003-2004, is a past member of the Board of Direc-

tor’s for the Northeastern Economic Developers Association, a current member of the

Leadership Committee for the Economic Development Division of APA, and has held vari-

ous positions on the NHPA Board of Directors.

MICHAEL CASTANGA, Castanga Consulting Group

Michael Castanga is the principal of the Castanga Consulting Group, based in North Hamp-

ton, NH. In his private practice in economic development and owners development repre-

sentation, as well as dozens of charrettes for both Plan and Seacoast, Michael has deep

experience in guiding projects from concept to built. His skills and dedication to answer the

impossible questions about how to make housing a reality will ground the session in reality

but creative economic tools and fascinating results. Castanga has over 37 years of con-

struction experience as a chief estimator, project manager for several construction compa-

nies.

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GABRIELLE CIUFFREDA, M&S Development

Gabrielle Ciuffreda is a project coordinator for M&S Development and Stevens & Associ-

ates in Brattleboro, Vermont. Gabrielle received her A.B. in Mathematics and Biology from

Bryn Mawr College and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. In New York

City, she honed her skills as a litigator for nearly a decade at a large national firm where

she worked on high-stakes complex civil cases, specializing in patent litigation. Since mov-

ing to Vermont, Gabby has worked for local non-profit organizations as a Real Estate

& Environmental Compliance Manager and Director of Finance & Administration. She cur-

rently lives in Guilford, where she is a member of the Select Board. Gabrielle’s background

includes 20 years of diverse experience in real estate/asset management, financial man-

agement, environmental and regulatory compliance and intellectual property law. In her

current role, she provides pre-development consulting and project management assis-

tance, provides grant-writing support to clients and community groups. She performs pro-

ject underwriting, including business plan review, permitting feasibility, construction sched-

ule development & review, and community outreach. She is skilled in capital raising and

deployment and loan sourcing and is particularly adept at sourcing brownfields funding.

ANGELA CLEVELAND, Kim Lundgren Assoc., Inc.

Angela Cleveland is the Director of Sustainability Planning for Kim Lundgren Associates

(KLA). Ms. Cleveland has more than 19 years of experience providing a wide range of plan-

ning services, including land use, housing, economic development and community engage-

ment within the public and private sectors. She brings a diverse set of expertise in the are-

as of sustainability and resiliency planning, having managed one of the first sustainability

comprehensive plans in Massachusetts, the Greenfield Sustainable Comprehensive Plan.

Currently she is managing the NB Resilient Planning process in New Bedford, which in-

cludes robust community engagement that is reaching the entire City. Ms. Cleveland holds

a Master’s of Science in Resource Management and Administration from Antioch Universi-

ty New England, Permaculture Design Certification, and a Bachelor of Science in Environ-

mental Policy and Administration from Western Washington University. She is the Presi-

dent of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Planning Association, Past President

of the Massachusetts Association of Planning Directors, and represents Massachusetts on

national planning Task Forces and Committees. She lives in an old cotton mill in Lowell

with her family.

WILLIAM COLVIN, Bennington County Regional Commission, VT

William Colvin is the Assistant Director and Community Development Program Coordinator

for the Bennington County Regional Commission. In that role, he focuses on community

and economic development planning, including general economic development, workforce,

housing, local food systems, downtowns and villages, energy and natural resources. He

also works with other BCRC staff to support the sustainable community development pro-

gram.

TIMOTHY CORWIN, Esq., City of Lebanon, NH

Tim Corwin serves as Senior Planner and Zoning Administrator, and provides direct staff

support to the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Heritage Commission. He practiced law in

Pennsylvania for several years, primarily focusing on land use, development, and zoning.

As a planner and zoning administrator, Tim worked for the City of Dover and Town of Wind-

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ham prior to accepting his current position with the City. From 2010 to 2015 he served on

the Executive Committee of the New Hampshire Planners Association and chaired the

NHPA's Legislative Committee. Tim is one of only a few members of the New Hampshire

bar to also hold AICP accreditation from the American Planning Association. Tim has a

Masters in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor from Tem-

ple University. He and his family are residents of Lebanon.

CHRISTA DANIELS, Ph.D., Antioch University

Christa Daniels Ph.D., AICP specializes in climate mitigation and resiliency along with citi-

zen engagement strategies. For the past two decades, Christa has worked with local and

regional governments to foster energy independence, reduce traffic congestion, curb local

air pollution, strengthen local economies, and increase their resiliency to the changing cli-

mate. Dr. Daniels has facilitated and created innovative participatory stakeholder engage-

ment strategies with towns and regions such as Pittsburgh PA, the Greater Portland Coun-

cil of Governments, Monadnock region in New Hampshire, NY Department of Conserva-

tion, Maplewood NJ, and Bridgeport CT.

Christa’s current research relies on equitable participatory planning methods within local

and regional governments to overcome barriers to implement climate resilience solutions.

These ecological design solutions can be implemented within the existing urban planning

infrastructure through effective landscape visualization and meaningful dialogue.

Dr. Daniels received her Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from Antioch University. She previ-

ously earned her B.A. in Political Science at Pace University and her M.S. in Resource Man-

agement and Administration at Antioch Graduate School. Christa’s past experience in-

cludes working for the United Nations, NH Department of Environmental Services, Clean

Air Cool Planet, and as a city planner for Keene, NH. She also has worked for Climate Ac-

cess as a research coordinator on translating social science into effective engagement

strategies. In addition, Christa worked on an innovative sea level rise in situ 3D visualiza-

tion project in San Mateo County, Marin County and the San Francisco Bay region of Cali-

fornia to increase public support for action on climate change.

JOHN EDGAR, Town of Meredith, NH

John Edgar received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Montclair State Col-

lege in 1981. His career in local government spans 36 years of service. John was appoint-

ed as Meredith’s first Town Planner in 1988 and currently serves as its Community Devel-

opment Director. He received AICP accreditation from the American Institute of Certified

Planners in 1995. In 2004 he received the Nelson B. Robinson Award from the Jordan In-

stitute recognizing his ability to work collaboratively across multiple disciplines including

public health, environmental protection and economics. In 2007 John was named Profes-

sional Planner of the Year by the NH Planners Association. John enjoys family time, skiing,

cooking and photography. He and his family reside in Meredith, NH.

JULIE RENAUD EVANS, Northern Forest Center

Julie is a Program Director at the Northern Forest Center, where she has worked since

2009. Julie was part of the team that originated the Community Forest model and is a na-

tional leader in helping communities and non-profits acquire and manage Community For-

ests to provide a sustainable flow of ecologic, economic, and social benefits. Julie uses her

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skills as a forester and former community planner to prepare communities and coach resi-

dents for their roles as permanent stewards of Community Forests. She guides them as

they create governance structures, develop forest management plans and engage a wide

spectrum of community voices in each project.

Julie manages other place-based projects that integrate multiple strategies to benefit vi-

brant communities and healthy forests, including the redevelopment of a historic, 11,000-

square-foot building that will house a local foods market at street level and apartments

above to create in-town living spaces in Lancaster, NH. She has led numerous collabora-

tive programs with other non-profits and state agencies.

Julie has more than 30 years’ experience working in the Northern Forest including college-

level teaching, facilitating conservation projects, and advising landowners on forest stew-

ardship. She is co-author of several publications, including Community Forests: A Commu-

nity Investment Strategy, and is currently serving as the President of the New England So-

ciety of American Foresters. Julie earned both her M.A. in Environmental Education and

B.S. in Forest Management from the University of New Hampshire.

CAROL EYERMAN, Town of Gorham, Maine

Carolyn (Carol) Eyerman, AICP, Carol identifies as a tail-end Baby Boomer who has enjoyed

planning for five different towns in both Maine and Pennsylvania for over 22 years. She is

currently the Town Planner for the Town of Gorham, Maine. Previously, she served in the

same role for the Town of Topsham, Maine where she managed historic preservation pro-

jects, planning reviews, and pedestrian/bicycle transportation planning, among other

things. Prior to that, Carol worked for the town of Harpswell, Maine developing the plan-

ning program and working on open space, economic development and ocean policy. She

was the Director of Planning and Development for Montgomery Township, PA and the Town

Planner in Middletown Township, PA for a combined eight years where she managed the

day to day planning functions as well as long range planning projects including the Open

Space and Recreation Plan, transportation planning and the review of the Levittown, PA

zoning. She began her professional life as a scientist which she practiced in Portland and

Boothbay Harbor, Maine before switching to the field of planning. Areas of interest and ex-

pertise include economic development, natural resource, historic preservation, and land

use policy.

Carol holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Management from the Muskie School of

Public Service at the University of Southern Maine and a Bachelor of Science in Animal and

Veterinary Sciences from the University of Maine. She is a certified planner with the Ameri-

can Institute of Certified Planners. She is the current Vice President of Northern New Eng-

land Chapter of APA. She was the President of the Maine Association of Planners (MAP),

and the Maine State Director to NNECAPA for the past three years. She was the 2019 re-

cipient of the MAP Professional Planner of the Year award. She lives in Topsham, Maine

with her husband Mark, a fellow award winning planner. She can be found surrounded by

water particularly swimming and downhill skiing.

LEE JAY FELDMAN, Southern Maine Planning & Development Comm.

Lee Jay Feldman joined SMPDC in the spring of 2013 and comes to SMPDC with experi-

ence as Director of Planning and Permitting for the City of Auburn, Director of Planning at

Sebago Technics in Westbrook and more recently, Principal Planner for the City of Ports-

mouth, NH. His professional experiences has been with staffing Planning Boards, Boards

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of Adjustment, Municipal Liquor Committee, and Historic District Commission. He has man-

aged and developed Industrial Park Construction Projects. Lee Jay has written several

Comprehensive Plans including the City of Auburn, Auburn Tomorrow update the Town of

Fryeburg and the Town of Wells and currently working on plans for Ogunquit and Kenne-

bunk while assisting other staff with Limerick and Denmark.

Lee Jay teamed with a local engineering firm recently to analyze the zoning and develop-

ment potential of a large town land holding in Kittery and recommended changes to the

zoning which has now yielded high density residential development. Lee Jay has focused

on sea level rise impact along the coastal communities in Southern Maine assisting the

Sea Level Adaptation Working Group (SLAWG) communities (Old Orchard Beach, Scar-

borough, and Saco & Biddeford) with coastal Sea Level Rise. Lee Jay has also been re-

sponsible for numerous Sea Level Rise Comprehensive Plan Chapters in Southern Maine.

NICHOLAS FLOERSCH, Stone Environmental

Nick Floersch is a Senior Web /GIS Application Developer at Stone with 23 years of experi-

ence in all aspects of application development and server integration. Nick started working

with GIS in high-school and has been working with it to varying degrees ever since. After

earning his BSc. in Computer Science, Nick came to Stone full time as the IT manager. He

migrated away from his IT role to become a GIS application developer in 2006. Nick has a

keen interest in using spatial problem solving and modern software development method-

ologies and systems to build creative solutions that improve the efficacy of services that

support citizens. Nick works in his spare time as the captain of the Vermont-local Code for

America brigade to connect local civic minded technologist volunteers with the various civ-

ic projects that they can help with.

BENJAMIN FROST, New Hampshire Housing

Benjamin Frost, Esq., AICP is the Managing Director of Policy and Public Affairs at New

Hampshire Housing Finance Authority, where he coordinates legislative initiatives and stra-

tegic planning, and serves as internal legal counsel. He frequently lectures on issues of

affordable and workforce housing, land use law, and ethics. Ben has over 30 years of ex-

perience as a land use planner and over 20 years as an attorney. He is a founding mem-

ber of the Governing Council of Housing Action NH, a low-income housing advocacy organi-

zation and for 10 years has served on the New Hampshire Energy Efficiency and Sustaina-

ble Energy Board. Ben is the Treasurer of both the NH Planners Association and the North-

ern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association. Ben holds B.A. and M.A.

degrees in Geography (with a focus on USSR environmental policy) from Colgate University

and Syracuse University, respectively and a J.D. from Cornell Law School with a concentra-

tion in business law and regulation. In 2015, Ben received an Honor Award of Merit from

Plan NH, and was recognized as Professional Planner of the Year in 2016 by both the New

Hampshire Planners Association and the Northern New England Chapter of the American

Planning Association; also in 2016, the Foundation for Healthy Communities recognized

him with the Innovator’s Award. He lives in Warner, NH, where he serves as Chairman of

the planning board. In their spare time, Ben and his wife Christine seek to employ perma-

culture principles in the design of their woodland paradise.

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SAMUEL GAINES, Spruce Peak Realty

Sam is the Managing Director of AIG Global Real Estate and President of Spruce Peak Re-

alty in Stowe, Vermont. Sam has been a key force behind several major real estate devel-

opment projects in Stowe, including the Spruce Peak Village Center and the Residences at

Stowe Mountain Lodge. He graduated from Pomona College and received a master’s de-

gree in real estate finance from New York University. He serves on the Stowe Vibrancy Eco-

nomic Development Committee and the Stowe Land Trust.

KEVIN GEIGER, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Comm., VT

Kevin works across our brownfields, water quality, climate change, and housing policy are-

as. However, his strengths lie in being the senior staff person on land use regulations, in-

cluding floodplain development, and emergency management. He is a great resource for

towns to call with land use questions. Kevin brings over 25 years of planning experience in

assisting Vermont towns to his work at TRORC. Off hours in March, Kevin can be found

pruning apple trees, as well as moderating the Pomfret Town Meeting. In 2014, Kevin was

named the Emergency Manager of the Year by the Northeast States Emergency Consorti-

um.

MARK HAMELIN, VHB

Mark Hamelin is the Director of Land Planning and Landscape Architecture at VHB Ver-

mont. Driving inspiration from the physical and contextual nature of the site, Mark

has the ability to quickly grasp a projects vision to create simple, yet elegant

solutions to highly complex land planning problems. He brings more than 35

years of professional landscape architecture, land planning, and urban design

experience on a wide range of public and private sector projects across Vermont,

throughout the country and internationally. Mark’s work has been recognized by

his peers with 19 professional design/planning awards. Notable accomplishments

include Burlington’s Waterfront Park, the recently completed Waterbury State

Office Complex, and the Spruce Peak Master Plan at Stowe Mountain Resort.

J.T. HORN, Trust for Public Land

J.T. Horn is a Senior Project Manager at The Trust for Public Land’s Montpelier, VT office

where he has worked since 2007. At TPL his experience includes creating new municipally

managed community forests, conserving large timberland parcels, preserving farmland,

and building citizen coalitions in support of conservation projects. J.T. is skilled at solving

complex real estate problems that allow for landowners to receive a return on their invest-

ment and for communities to conserve lands important to their natural and cultural herit-

age and quality of life. He has successfully closed transactions with the National Park Ser-

vice, US Forest Service, Forest Legacy Program, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Re-

source Conservation Service, and numerous state and local agencies. His current portfolio

covers the Northeastern United States.

Prior to TPL, he worked for 10 years at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy as the New Eng-

land Director overseeing 730 miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail between Con-

necticut and Maine. Early in his career he worked seasonally for the Appalachian Moun-

tain Club in the White Mountains of New Hampshire including stints as a winter caretaker

doing avalanche forecasting and search and rescue at Tuckerman Ravine on Mount Wash-

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ington and leading the Camp Dodge Volunteer Trail Crew Program. J.T. is a Phi Beta Kappa

graduate of St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY with a degree in philosophy. He is also a

graduate of Antioch New England Graduate School's Institute for Non-Profit Management.

JASON JORDAN, APA

As APA’s Policy Director, Jason is responsible for government affairs, advocacy, and policy

efforts of the association. This includes development of APA policy guides; representation

of APA with congressional offices, federal agencies, and partner organizations; and man-

agement of advocacy networks and campaigns. Jason also provides strategic guidance to

volunteer leaders on policy matters at the national, state, and local levels.

MARK KANE, SE Group

Mark helps communities defined by outdoor recreation, the rural lifestyle, and tourism un-

lock and maximize economic, environmental, aesthetic, and recreational character—and

potential—through community and land use planning, permitting, and entitlement. Mark

brings together deep community planning expertise; an intuitive and informed understand-

ing of how to bring together diverse communities for long term consensus and gain; and a

profound commitment to helping small communities find, articulate, tap into, and retain

what makes them special.

He brings over 25 years of experience in environmental and land use planning and analy-

sis to the SE Group team and enjoys expertise in regional and land use planning, recrea-

tion planning, and permitting and entitlement. Mark has a Bachelor of Science, School of

Natural Resources – Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont. When not

working, Mark is a bona fide 21st century “nerd”—enjoying all the outdoor splendor that

New England offers, while also willingly succumbing to playing with Legos or reading the

latest adventures of Captain America with his son, Luke.

LIZ LANG, APA

As APA’s Marketing Director, Liz is responsible for leading strategic promotional efforts for

APA and its professional institute, AICP. Liz oversees the dissemination of all APA broad-

cast email, and the effective implementation of marketing plans that highlight APA prod-

ucts, services, and events, and the value of certification.

ROBIN LeBLANC, PLAN NH

Robin is the Executive Director of Plan NH, raising awareness of the impact of our built en-

vironment on the fabrics of our New Hampshire communities. Robin leads PLAN in its di-

verse portfolio of community advocacy and outreach efforts to advocate for the built envi-

ronment in NH including almost 70 community charrettes, many of which have dealt with

housing futures. She has seen towns embrace change and others reject it and will bring

that wisdom to lay the groundwork for better tools for future housing opportunities.

KIM LUNDGREN, Kim Lundgren Assoc., Inc.

Kim Lundgren, founder and CEO of Kim Lundgren Associates Inc., is a mission driven pro-

fessional with over 17 years of experience, the last 15 of which have been spent design-

ing, securing funding for, and implementing sustainability programs focused on energy,

climate change mitigation, and climate change adaptation. Kim is accomplished in build-

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ing new teams and services through effective networking and interpersonal skills, strategic

planning, fundraising, and technical know-how. She has a strong track

record facilitating multi-sector dialogue between local governments, institutions, business-

es, and residents related to achieving sustainability goals. Her success as a project man-

ager is based on structured workplans, innovative design and delivery, continuous im-

provement, ongoing client engagement, and significant technical experience with green-

house gas emissions inventories, protocols, and accounting tools; energy baseline and

benchmarking tools; and strategic planning processes. Kim is also adept at facilitation,

training, and public engagement. She has applied her skills in both the public and private

sector with specific emphasis on local government sustainability initiatives and corporate

sustainability programs.

Kim is a member of the American Planning Association, Chair of the American Public

Works Association Center for Sustainability, and is one of the first Envision™ credentialed

sustainability professionals in the US, which is focused on developing sustainable infra-

structure.

SALLY MANIKIAN, The Conservation Fund

Sally Manikian is The Conservation Fund’s Vermont and New Hampshire Representative.

The Fund is a national land conservation and economic development organization, estab-

lished in 1985, working in all 50 states and headquartered in Arlington VA. A NH native,

Sally lives in Coos County and manages a spectrum of partner-driven projects in land and

water conservation and economic development. Working in both NH and VT, her current

land conservation work and projects include expanding Community Forests, launching new

State Wildlife Management Areas, protecting private owned working forest and agricultural

lands, and supporting the stewardship of the Appalachian Trail. Serving the Fund’s dual

mission of land conservation and economic development, Sally has been leading the Hu-

man Powered Recreation Value Chain initiative, funded by the Neil and Louise Tillotson

Fund, since 2017. When not working or caring for her disabled brother and sister, Sally is

found on the trails of Coos County with her racing sled dog team, the Shady Pines Sled

Dogs. An extremely early riser, Sally enjoys drinking coffee and reading novels.

SARAH MARCHANT, City of Nashua, NH

Sarah Marchant, AICP joined the City of Nashua in June 2014 as the Director of Communi-

ty Development. In this position, she is responsible for the budget and leadership of the

Community Development Division which consists of six departments, including Building

Safety, Code Enforcement, Planning and Zoning, Waterways, Transportation, Urban Pro-

grams, and various commissions, boards and programs. She volunteers as Senior Strate-

gist for the Center for Strategic Governance and prior to Nashua she served in Amherst

and Milford, NH.

Sarah was elected President of the Northern New England Chapter of the American Plan-

ning Association (NNECAPA) representing NH, VT and ME, in the fall of 2015. She also

serves on the Executive Committee of the New Hampshire Planners Association (NHPA),

after serving as President from 2010-2014, and Nashua Chamber of Commerce Board of

Directors. She holds a BA from the University of New Hampshire and an MA from the Uni-

versity of Connecticut.

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KATHERINE MILLER, Esq., DTC Lawyers

Katherine Miller is a partner with DTC Lawyers. Kate joined the firm in 2001 and became a

partner in 2014. Her current practice includes estate planning and probate work (including

wills, trusts and durable powers of attorney), municipal representation, particularly in tele-

communications (especially cell tower permitting, negotiating cable franchise renewals

and advising cities and towns on municipal fiber networks), and representation of non -

profit organizations ranging from small, start up charities to complex, multi -million dollar

organizations. Kate was born and raised in Waterville, Maine. She received a BA from

Brown University in 1982 and her JD from Northeastern University Law School in Boston,

MA in 1987. She clerked for the Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court then moved

to Washington, DC, where she was counsel to Senator Patrick Leahy on the Senate Judici-

ary Committee. Kate worked for a private, civil litigation firm in San Francisco, CA and later

was Court Staff Attorney for the Yolo County, CA, Superior and Municipal Courts. She is

admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in the State of New Hampshire.

Kate resides in Exeter with her husband, Dr. Steve Jones and their children. Kate currently

serves as moderator for the Exeter Regional Cooperative School District, covering Exeter,

Kensington, Newfields, Brentwood and Stratham and for the Exeter Elementary schools.

CHRISTIAN ROADMAN, City of Portland, Maine

Christian works in the Planning Division of the City of Portland. His main role is in

development review, though special projects include work with Geographic Information

Systems and City housing efforts. Previously, he worked for the City of Shaker Heights,

an inner-ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. His work there included staffing the City's

Landmark Commission.

Christian's planning-related work began at LAND studio, a Cleveland nonprofit focused

on public art and public space. Professionally, he's most interested in applying lessons

and perspectives from rust belt or legacy cities to centers of investment like Portland.

He received his Master of Urban Planning degree from the University of Michigan.

DENISE ROY-PALMER, Wentworth Economic Development Corp.

Denisa has served as the Executive Director of the Wentworth Economic Development

Corp. (WEDCO) since 1996. Based in Wolfeboro, NH, the mission of WEDCO is to promote

businesses and economic development and the creation of employment opportunities by

providing development assistance and financing. WEDCO, a private non-profit economic

development corporation, serves eleven New Hampshire communities in Strafford and

Carroll Counties. Denise has been credited for her role in the creation and support of sev-

eral Wolfeboro-area businesses. She noted some of her mot gratifying work has been in

support of the grassroots ‘Discover Sandwich’ and ‘The Moose, New Hampshire’ tourism

and economic development campaigns

SHANNA B. SAUNDERS, City of Somersworth, NH

Shanna is a graduate of the Resource Administration and Management Master’s Degree

program at the University of New Hampshire and has an undergraduate degree in Environ-

mental Conservation from UNH. She started her career path as director of the non-profit

watershed group the Parker River Clean Water Association in Newbury, MA. From there she

worked several years for the town of Rowley, MA as their Conservation Administrator. After

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Rowley she moved her talents to the State she lived in & loved and worked for more than a

decade in the beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee City of Laconia. She currently serves as the

City of Somersworth's Development Services Director on the banks of the Salmon Falls Riv-

er. She continues to strive everyday to integrate wise land use principals into New Hamp-

shire land use policies. Shanna has been a NHPA Executive Committee member since

2009 and currently serves as President. Shanna lives, runs, cooks and gardens in Sea-

coast New Hampshire and has two beautiful and brilliant children!

JOSHUA SCHWARTZ, Mad River Valley Planning Dist., VT

Joshua Schwartz is Executive Director of the Mad River Valley Planning District, a unique

three-town planning entity developed by the Vermont towns of Fayston, Waitsfield and War-

ren and Sugarbush Resort to carry out a program of planning for the Mad River Valley di-

rected toward its physical, social, economic, fiscal, environmental, cultural and aesthetic

well-being. He works in all aspects of planning, with a focus in economic development,

flood resilience, recreation, housing, and transportation. Previously, Joshua served as Plan-

ning & Zoning Director for the City of Barre and Staff Planner with the Central Vermont Re-

gional Planning Commission. He holds a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from Vir-

ginia Tech. Joshua received the 2012 Professional Planner of the Year Award from the

Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association and was selected as

a Vermont Rising Star in 2015 through Vermont Business Magazine’s 40 under 40 pro-

gram.

BEN SMITH, North Star Planning

Ben Smith, AICP, launched North Star Planning in 2017, following almost 15 years experi-

ence in the public and private sectors. At North Star Planning, Ben works with the public

and municipalities to create and sustain the places that make Maine special. Ben has de-

grees from Bates College and the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of

Southern Maine, and serves on the board of GrowSmart Maine. Born and raised in Cari-

bou, Maine, Ben loves to explore and enjoy the outdoors around Northern New England

with his family and friends.

PETER STITH, City of Portsmouth, NH

Peter Stith started working for the City of Portsmouth in May of 2017 and is one of the

Principal Planners for the City. One of his main responsibilities is staffing the Board of Ad-

justment. He is the project manager for the Open Space Planning effort that is currently

underway. Stith, who is originally from Virginia, spent the past 10+ years working in North-

ampton County, VA for most of that time as the Long Range Planner/GIS Coordinator. He

and his family have been visiting family in this area for the past 10+ years and they

jumped on the opportunity to relocate in 2017. He has five children, three humans ages

9, 12 and 14 and two canines a 5-year-old yellow lab named Enzo and a 5 month lab old

named Angus. Stith loves to commute to work on his Rad City e-bike.

REBECCA STONE, Community Workshop, LLC

Rebecca is a community builder, problem solver, strategic thinker and inventive communi-

cator. She brings a diverse skillset to public outreach and communications, drawing on

past experience as a teacher, writer, strategist and network builder. She excels at design-

ing and facilitating engaging, high-impact projects that reach diverse audiences and en-

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courage creative thinking and quick action. She holds a Masters Degree from the Yale

School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and a dual B.A. in English and biology from Wil-

liams College.

Rebecca’s recent projects include developing a DIY Community Recipe Book with AARP

Vermont; Keene (NH) Arts & Culture Corridor; Hyde Park (VT) Better Connections project;

community visioning in Woodstock and Richmond (VT); and creative community develop-

ment strategy for Herkimer County, NY. She co-created the pop-up Bethel University, Beth-

el Better Block, and other downtown revitalization projects. She frequently speaks, writes

and offers trainings on placemaking and community engagement.

WM. NORTH STURTEVANT, JSA, Inc.

Wm. North Sturtevant is the CEO of JSA Inc., a multi-disciplinary architecture, planning, and

interior design firm with focuses in senior living, healthcare, hospitality, education, housing

and mixed-use projects. As one of the founding entities for PLAN NH, JSA has also also

been a regional leader in housing solutions for NE states. As CEO, North is the firm’s lead-

er in advancing housing opportunities with a range of built projects many of which are

award winning recipients. North generously gives his time to lead PLAN NH charrettes and

brings a calming and thoughtful presence.

SHAYNA SYLVIA, Strafford Regional Planning Comm., NH

Shayna Sylvia is the Communications and Outreach Planner at Strafford Regional Planning

Commission (SRPC). She began her career at SRPC in 2012 as a marketing and communi-

cations intern after graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor’s in

Communication. In 2014 she was promoted, becoming the organization’s first communica-

tions specialist. She attended Great Bay Community College from 2015-2017 earning a

certificate in digital design and animation. In her role at SRPC, Shayna strives to integrate

her communications and design skills to best share regional news, reports and other infor-

mation with stakeholders and citizens in a visual and engaging way. She also works to co-

ordinate Commission volunteers and meetings and provides outreach and engagement

services to partners and municipalities throughout the region and state.

DAN SZCZESNY, Author

Dan Szczesny is a long-time journalist, author and speaker living in New Hampshire.He’s

written several books of travel memoir (The Adventures of Buffalo and Tough Cookie, Mos-

quito Rain), fiction (Sing and Other Stories) and poetry (Invincible One, Poems). His short

story, “White Like Marble” was a finalist in the 2017 Ernest Hemingway Foundation Short

Shorts Contest, out of the Hemingway Birthplace in Oak Park, Ill.

One of Dan’s latest projects is The White Mountain. From the vaulted heights of New Eng-

land’s highest peak, Dan spent a year exploring the very heart of the White Mountains. But

Mt. Washington—home of the world’s worst weather—is more than just a Rock Pile, it’s the

cultural and natural soul of climbers and tourists from around the world. From car races to

bird watching, from bikes to motorcycles, from the railroad to the stars to a centuries old

observatory, Mt. Washington speaks to the adventurer in all of us, and Dan turns his veter-

an journalist’s eye toward capturing it all in his new book, The White Mountain.

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CHRIS THAYER, Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC)

Chris Thayer serves as the Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) Director of North Country

Programming and Outreach. His responsibilities include oversight and management of se-

lect operations and educational programming at AMC’s NH outdoor program centers. A

long-time resident of the North Country, Chris has worked for AMC in the region for 30

years in a variety of capacities, including frontline seasonal positions as well as manage-

ment positions overseeing core AMC outdoor center operations. As a senior staff member,

Chris serves as a key representative for the organization among a variety of constituencies

in the North Country, including state and federal agencies, non-profit partners, regional

tourism and economic development entities, elected officials, and other opinion leaders.

He lives with his wife and two active boys on the edge of Franconia Notch where they enjoy

all the region has to offer.

IVY VANN, Ivy Vann Town Planning & Urban Design

Ivy Vann is the CEO of Ivy Vann Town Planning and Urban Design and co-chair of the Peter-

borough NH Planning Board. Ivy is certified by the Form Based Code Institute to write form-

based code; she also has extensive experience with using conventional code to create bet-

ter places. Ivy has been a member of Congress for the New Urbanism for more than ten

years and regularly attends both national and regional events; she recently received certifi-

cation as a planner from CNU. She is committed to the Incremental Development Alliance

model of growth: towns need to help local people invest in their own places, creating

wealth for individuals and for municipalities.

In 2015 she organized a planning and development conference featuring national speak-

ers including Charles Marohn of Strong Towns, R. John Anderson of the Incremental Devel-

opment Alliance and Anderson Kim Architecture and Urban Design. That conference is now

semiannual under the auspices of Plan-NH. Ivy is a frequent participant in Plan-NH design

charrettes for New Hampshire towns and cities. Ivy is also certified by the National Char-

rette Institute to manage charrettes for municipalities and developers, using a model of

compressed, comprehensive engagement and design.

SUSAN WESTA, Windham Regional Commission

Susan Westa, AICP is a Senior Planner with the Windham Regional Commission in Brattle-

boro, VT. Susan is the Community Development lead, which includes the brownfields pro-

gram and the regional plan update. Susan comes to WRC from the Pioneer Valley Planning

Commission.

Previously, Susan was the Community Engagement Director for the Connecticut Main

Street Center. Susan was also an Extension Educator with the University of Connecticut

where she served as Co-Director of the Green Valley Institute. Susan is a Certified Planner

and has a Master’s degree in Environmental Science. She served as CCAPA’s Professional

Development Officer and SNEAPA’s Program Committee Co-Chair.

ROBERT WHITE, GPI Greenman Pedersen

Robert White is a landscape architect with the firm of GPI Greenman Pedersen based in

Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He has practiced in northern New England since 1984, work-

ing on a variety of community planning design and neighborhood housing solutions. Prior

to GPI, Robert was co- principal of ORW Landscape Architects and Planners in White River

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Junction Vermont and the firm received over thirty state, regional and national design

awards including a number of NNECAPA projects of the year.

Robert’s pursuit in recent years has been through the focus a creative placemaking as a

foundation for both transportation projects and new neighborhood design - seeking the

integration of place, people, economic artistic, and other community assets. He is a recipi-

ent of the Certification in Creative Placemaking from the New Hampshire Institute for the

Arts with the capstone paper topic of Creative Placemaking as a foundation for New Hous-

ing Opportunities. Both in professional and volunteer activities Robert is the frequent par-

ticipant, facilitator and illustrator in Community design charrettes.

STEVEN WHITMAN, Resilience Planning & Design

Dr. Steven Whitman is a professional planner and educator who has been working in the

public, nonprofit, and private sectors in New England for over twenty years. For the past

fifteen years he has successfully partnered with others to create dynamic consulting teams

tailored to the client’s specific project needs. Steve is also a certified permaculture design-

er and teacher, and works on ecological design projects and courses here in the US and

internationally. Steve established Resilience Planning & Design to assist communities on

comprehensive planning initiatives and on implementation actions that reinforce their vi-

sion and future land use plans. His work includes comprehensive planning projects in

small towns and large cities, and regional and watershed scale natural resource planning.

He is also actively researching municipal green infrastructure planning initiatives in the

United States. Steve is a part-time faculty member at Plymouth State University and an al-

ternate on the Plymouth, NH Planning Board.

MICHEAL WILLARD, VHB

Michael Willard, LEED AP, ALSA has served VHB as a Senior Landscape Architect in the

firm’s South Burlington, Vermont, office since 2007. Willard brings 20 years of experience

in landscape architecture on projects across New England that include streetscapes, park

design, institutional, retail, resorts, and housing. As a LEED® Accredited Professional,

Willard’s design work is driven by an environmental charter to encourage sensitive and re-

sponsible design. His work has been recognized by his peers with close to 10 professional

design and planning awards, including a 2017 Vermont American Society of Landscape

Architects (ASLA) Public Spaces Honor Award for his work at Spruce Peak Village Center, in

Stowe, Vermont. He is a Registered Landscape Architect in Vermont with a degree in Archi-

tecture from Vermont Technical College and serves as the President of the Vermont Bee-

keeper’s Association.

SARAH WRIGHTSMAN, Workforce Housing Coalition of the Greater Seacoast, NH

Sarah Wrightsman has served as executive director of the Workforce Housing Coalition of

the Greater Seacoast since October 2017. Wrightsman also serves as the housing planner

for the Regional Economic Development Center. Wrightsman is a graduate of the Universi-

ty of New Hampshire and has a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Carsey School of

Public Policy. During her graduate studies, Wrightsman served as a fellow for New Hamp-

shire Listens, a civic engagement initiative out of UNH.

Wrightsman was named the 2018 Civic Leader of the Year by Stay Work Play NH and NH

Public Radio and a 2019 “10 to Watch” winner by Seacoast Media Group and Catapult

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Seacoast. Sarah is a graduate of the Leadership Seacoast Class of 2019. Wrightsman is

also the co-host of Creative Guts, a podcast focused on the pursuit of creativity.

Wrightsman lives in Durham, NH with her husband, Aaron, and her rabbit, Luna.

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NOTES

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