Office of the Executive Director |
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Marcel C. Acosta
Executive Director
Marcel C. Acosta has more than 25 years of experience in urban and transportation planning. As executive director of the federal government’s central planning agency, he oversees a team of urban planners, architects, historic preservationists, and other professionals who are committed to preserving and enhancing the extraordinary qualities of the National Capital Region (NCR). Mr. Acosta is also a federal appointee to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Board of Directors, serving as a voting board member. The Metro Board of Directors determines agency policy and provides oversight for the funding, operation, and expansion of transit facilities in the NCR.
Before joining NCPC in 2001, Mr. Acosta served as senior vice president of planning and development for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), the nation’s second largest public transportation system. As CTA’s chief planner, he developed new capital programs and oversaw successful initiatives that increased ridership and reduced operating costs for the city’s bus and rail systems. Prior to CTA, he held the position of deputy commissioner for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development. Mr. Acosta received a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a 2001 Loeb Fellow of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.
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Barry S. Socks
Chief Operating Officer
Barry Socks joined NCPC in 2004 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where he was the deputy director of human resources. During his tenure at FEMA, Mr. Socks also served in other leadership positions, including acting deputy regional director in the Kansas City, Missouri Office; deputy federal coordinating officer for the Northridge Long-Term Recovery Office in Pasadena, California; and deputy director of the Emergency Support Team. Mr. Socks received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowie State University. |
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Office of the General Counsel |
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Anne R. Schuyler
General Counsel
Anne R. Schuyler has extensive experience in real estate, environment, and energy law. She previously served as an associate attorney for the U.S. Air Force, Office of General Counsel where she specialized in real estate transactions and environmental and energy law. She also served as WMATA’s chief real estate attorney; a realty specialist with the Department of State where she undertook foreign, multi-million dollar acquisition, disposition, and leasing transactions; and a land-use planning and zoning attorney in private practice. Ms. Schuyler worked as an urban planner for several public agencies including the District Office of Planning. She holds a J.D. from Washington College of Law, American University and a Master of City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania. |
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Office of the Secretariat |
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Deborah B. Young
Secretary to the Commission
Deborah Young is the official liaison between members of the Commission and the NCPC staff. Prior to joining NCPC in 1992, she was a program analyst at the Department of Health and Human Services. Ms. Young received a Bachelor of Science degree from Jackson State University. |
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Marcella M. Brown, Information Resources Specialist
Long Diep, Management and Program Assistant |
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Physical Planning Division |
| Physical Planning guides the design, visualization, and implementation of Commission policies that are focused on physical features or a specific geography. The division advances the federal interest and enhances the livability, human scale, and cultural treasures of the nation’s capital. Its initiatives address regional issues, including transportation and security, and focuses on geographical areas ranging from specific sites to districts and neighborhoods. |
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William G. Dowd, P.E.
Director (on detail)
Bill Dowd is a licensed professional engineer. Prior to joining NCPC in 1998, Mr. Dowd spent 13 years with the Federal Highway Administration working on various projects throughout the country. He received a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Connecticut. |
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Elizabeth D. Miller, AICP, ASLA, Acting Director
Sarah Moulton, ASLA, Urban Planner
Diane Sullivan, Urban Planner
Amy Tarce, AICP, Assoc. AIA, Urban Planner
Kenneth T. Walton, Architect - Urban Design |
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Policy and Research Division |
| The Policy and Research Division identifies critical issues and opportunities facing the federal government in the National Capital Region, evaluates policy options and priorities, and works with the Commission and other partners in developing an agenda for public and private action. Their work includes developing and updating the congressionally mandated Comprehensive Plan and Federal Capital Improvements Program and disseminating research on important federal interests in the region.
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Michael A. Sherman, Associate AIA
Director
Mike Sherman joined NCPC in 1997 from the Massachusetts Port Authority, where he was a geographic information systems (GIS) manager. Prior to that he served as an associate planner with Sasaki Associates in Watertown, Massachusetts. He received a Master of City Planning and an M.S. in Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2005, Mr. Sherman was a senior executive fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
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Kael W. Anderson, Urban Planner
Lucy Alden Kempf, Urban Planner
Stacy T. Wood, Urban Planner
David A. Zaidain, Senior Urban Planner |
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Urban Design and Plan Review Division |
| Urban Design and Plan Review coordinates the review of development plans and projects submitted by federal agencies, District of Columbia agencies, and other applicants. Its staff develops the recommendations used by the Commission to make decisions at its monthly meetings, and they provide professional expertise to the Commission and other agencies in the National Capital Region. |
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Christine Saum, AIA
Director
Christine Saum's areas of expertise include architecture, urban design, land use, and the environment. Prior to joining NCPC in 2003, she was the executive director of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design, an initiative established by the National Endowment for the Arts to improve the design of cities by educating elected leaders. She received a Master of Architecture from the Catholic University of America. She was a 2008 Loeb Fellow at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. |
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Shane L. Dettman, AICP, Senior Urban Planner
Carlton E. Hart, AICP, Urban Planner
Jeffrey L. Hinkle, AICP, Urban Planner; BZA Representative
Jennifer Hirsch, Federal Preservation Officer
Cheryl Kelly, Urban Planner
Michael W. Weil, Urban Planner |
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Office of Public Engagement |
| The Office of Public Engagement (OPE) informs and involves the public on all aspects of the NCPC’s work. OPE coordinates outreach and participation in NCPC’s initiatives and activities, provides clear, accessible information to help the agency communicate with the public and media, and fosters partnerships to address planning challenges in the National Capital Region. |
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Julia A. Koster, AICP
Director
Julia Koster is a city planner with expertise in smart growth and environmental issues. Prior to joining the agency, she was the development coordinator for the Governor’s Office of Smart Growth in Maryland. Ms. Koster received a master’s degree in Urban Planning from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. |
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William Herbig, AICP, Urban Planner
Paul A. Jutton, Graphic Designer
Christian P. Madera, Web and New Media Manager
Scott Sowers, Multimedia Specialist
Stephen O. Staudigl, Public Affairs Specialist |
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Office of Administration |
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Charles J. "Jody" Rieder
Director
Jody Rieder joined NCPC in September 1997 to lead the modernization of the agency's information technology infrastructure. He is a career federal employee with more than 20 years of IT experience and additional expertise in digital cartography. |
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Stefanie D. Brown, Support Services Specialist
Tony D. Champ, IT Manager
Camille Lewis Parks, Human Resources Assistant
Patricia Thompson, Information Receptionist
Phyllis A. Vessels, Human Resources Officer
Roszonna E. Whitsett, Management Assistant
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