2022 National Planning Awards

Kristen Asp is the principal planner for the city of Glendale, California. As an undergraduate student, she served as a student representative for the APA California Chapter. She also served as the Los Angeles section director and vice president for administration for the chapter. Kristen holds a bachelor's degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a master's degree from Woodbury University.

Ben Hitchings, FAICP, is the principal of Green Heron Planning, LLC, in Durham, North Carolina, and an adjunct faculty member at the UNC School of Government. He has 30 years of experience working on planning issues and has developed award-winning plans at the local and regional levels. He is the former planning director for the Town of Chapel Hill and the Town of Morrisville in North Carolina. He received his master's degree in planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a bachelor's degree from Amherst College. An active association member, Hitchings is a past president of the APA North Carolina Chapter and a current member of the APA Board of Directors. He co-chaired the Student and New Member Task Force and chaired the Chapter Presidents Council.

Angela Cleveland, AICP is the Community and Economic Development Director for the City of Amesbury, Massachusetts. Angie is a native of Spokane, Washington, and a graduate of Western Washington University, where she received her bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, and Antioch University New England, where she received a master's degree in Resource Management and Administration. As an active member of APA since graduate school, Angie has held numerous leadership positions including Student Representatives Council member, President of the Northern New England Chapter and Massachusetts Chapter, and on the APA Board of Directors representing Region 1. This is Angie's second term on the Awards Jury. Angie has a long career in working with and for local governments to create and maintain more sustainable, resilient communities.

Allison Mouch, AICP joined Orion Planning + Design in September 2016 and is currently based in Missoula, Montana. Bringing 16 years of professional planning experience to the team, her areas of specialization include comprehensive plans, code development, public engagement, project management, mapping, and analysis, with a focus on collaboration as a means of achieving positive outcomes. Mouch has wide-ranging experience working with private developers and public clients on forward-thinking land use and design solutions, fostering meaningful partnerships that result in sound policy and planning decisions. She is AICP and an active member of the American Planning Association (APA) as the Region V Board Director, past president of APA's Western Central Chapter, and currently sits on the Montana Association of Planners (MAP) Board of Directors. She holds a bachelor's degree in architecture from Miami University (Ohio), and a master's degree in urban and environmental planning from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

Stephanie Rolley, AICP served as professor and head of the Kansas State University Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional & Community Planning. A leader in planning and design education, she was named one of the Most Admired Educators by DesignIntelligence for three consecutive years since 2016-2017 and received the 2020 ASLA Jot. D. Carpenter Teaching Medal. Rolley is committed to enhancing professional planning and design education through service and leadership. She earned a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture from Kansas State University and a master's degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Brenda Case Scheer is a professor emeritus at the University of Utah College of Architecture + Planning. She was dean of the college for 11 years, following a successful architecture practice and academic career. Brenda has more than 32 papers and book chapters, 32 research grants, as well three books. Her two most important research areas are urban morphology theory and aesthetic regulation of the environment. Her most recent book is The Evolution of Urban Form: Typology for Planners and Architects. She is chair of the Salt Lake City Planning Commission and past chair of the Girl Scouts of Utah.

Scott Turner, AICP is the Director of Planning for Environmental Partners in Quincy. Massachusetts where he leads the firm's planning and stormwater practices. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, a registered Professional Engineer, and a LEED Accredited Professional in Neighborhood Development. His 30-year career has focused on private development, stormwater planning and design, sustainability, and climate change. He is the past chair of APA's Sustainable Communities Division and was the local host subcommittee chair for the 2021 National Planning Conference. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and Environmental Studies and a Master of Science Degree in City Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology. He is the Region I Director to the APA Board of Directors.

Isabel Soberal (she/her) is a student planner who is pursuing a master's degree in city and regional planning at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill starting in the fall of 2022. Before this, she earned a B. A degree in geography and Spanish from Grand Valley State University. Isabel is a passionate advocate for social justice and equity, and her research focus reflects that interest. During her undergraduate studies, she was part of the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program; this selective program allowed her to conduct research concerning conceptual frameworks of sustainability.

Justin Romeo is the Director of Special Projects in the Regional and Strategic Planning subdivision of the New York City Department of Transportation. He leads a portfolio of projects focused on the management and application of mobility data to initiatives and policies focused on improving how people get around New York City. He is a transportation planner who is passionate about providing a mix of transportation options to all communities. He first joined APA in 2016 and served as a regional representative to the Student Representative Council between 2018 and 2020. He currently is a member of the New York City Metro APA Chapter.

Cecilia Giusti is an Associate Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, School of Architecture, at Texas A&M University. Dr. Giusti teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on economic and community development and international development. Her work focuses on low-income micro-entrepreneurs and their contribution to local economic development from a multidisciplinary approach, involving access to financial sources, gender and ethnic concerns, and built environment constraints. Her systematic community engagement continues to inform her research and outreach. Dr. Giusti has been involved with the APA Latinos and Planning Division and led two "Dialogos" in Texas.

Bob Cambric is an urban planner specializing in public policy, growth management, community redevelopment, economic development, and consensus-building. He holds a Master of Science in Planning and a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from Florida State University, with over 30 years of urban planning and implementation experience. Bob is an inaugural member of the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. He is on the Board of Directors of SELF, a Florida-based non-profit that assists underserved communities by providing homeowners access to affordable and innovative financing for sustainable property improvements, and is also on the Board of Directors of 1000 Friends of Florida. In addition, Bob is serving on the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council's Brownfield Advisory Committee.