MEET THE NATIONAL ZONING ATLAS STAFF
ALINE FADER, Zoning CODE PROJECT COORDINATOR
Aline Fader is a mom who spent 11 years at the New York City Department of City Planning. She worked on a variety of private zoning applications, city projects, and studies before undertaking the transformation of the zoning application process itself. She helped the agency move from a paper system to a purely digital one, including the overhaul of the agency’s standard operating procedures and associated change management. She holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science and another in City and Regional Planning, both from Pratt Institute.
SCOTT MARKLEY, GEOSPATIAL PROJECT COORDINATOR
Scott Markley worked as a geospatial data scientist at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. Scott’s scholarly research has focused on questions at the intersection of sub/urban geography, GIS, and racial segregation and inequity. This work has appeared in the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Urban Geography, Journal of Urban Affairs, and elsewhere. Scott has also produced a series of peer-reviewed, open-access urban datasets, including the tabulated Area Description sheets from the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation’s (HOLC) mapping program and the Historical Housing Unit and Urbanization Database v2010 (HHUUD10), and has taught courses at the University of Georgia and Cornell University. Scott graduated from the University of Georgia with a PhD in Geography.
DIANA DROGARIS, OUTREACH COORDINATOR
Diana Drogaris previously worked as Associate Editor for Urban Omnibus, The Architectural League of New York’s online publication dedicated to showcasing stories on the collective work of citymaking, and Outreach Coordinator for equitable economic development programs at the Association for Neighborhood Housing and Development. She holds a Master of City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design, where she studied best practices in community development for informing local planning policy and strengthening community ties.
Evan Derickson, Deputy GEOSPATIAL Project Coordinator
Evan Derickson previously spent seven years in the tech industry, developing applications and leading projects to maintain and assure quality of open-source geodata. Evan also volunteers cartographic design and geospatial data processing expertise to Washington Trails Association, making information about trails and public lands in Washington State accessible to all. Before starting a career in geospatial technology, Evan spent eight months in Shandong Province, China, teaching English as a foreign language, followed by bicycling from San Diego, California to St. Augustine, Florida. Evan has a Bachelor's degree in Geography, with an emphasis on Natural Resource and Environmental Management and a minor in Geographic Information Systems, from Western Washington University.
Joanna Kaufman, Deputy Zoning Code Project Coordinator
Joanna Kaufman previously worked as a professional planner for a decade in the private and public sector in California. Most recently she worked as a land use planner at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Shreck, a nationwide law firm, where she managed projects with complex entitlement issues among many other things. She is an enthusiast of civic technology and is excited to use her professional experience in front of and behind the planning counter as part of the NZA team. Joanna holds a Master’s in City and Regional Planning from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo.
aidan antonienko, GEospatial Analyst
Aidan Antonienko previously worked as a legal assistant at a boutique law firm where she was engaged in all steps of litigation from inception to trial. Prior to joining the NZA, Aidan created a map of Hudson Valley ports and docks for a carbon-neutral sailing freight company. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from Vassar College.
Manal Bawazir, Zoning Code Analyst
Manal Bawazir previously worked as a data research assistant at the NYU Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, where she compiled a 12-year, New York State-wide parcel and tax assessment database. Since then, she has been part of multiple collaborative research projects on industrial development, circular economy, and sustainability. Manal aims to use her research and analytical skills to support public engagement and advance place-informed urbanism. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of San Diego and a Master's in Urban Planning from NYU Wagner.
Devon Chodzin, Zoning Code Anaylst
Devon Chodzin previously worked with the Hawaii Zoning Atlas as a member of the state's zoning analyst team. Prior to that, he worked for three years in community development in Cleveland, planning large community events, weekly outreach programming, and leading community engagement efforts in partnership with public planners. He is a certified zoning nerd after writing his undergraduate thesis on the impact of zoning ordinance adoption on new housing intensity in rural communities. Devon holds a Master in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania's Weitzman School of Design, where he also focused on climate change resilience and critical infrastructure protection.
Jeff Conkle, Zoning Code Analyst
Jeff Conkle holds twenty years of experience working in city government. He was a zoning administrator and city planner for municipalities in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Virginia and Georgia. He also holds a certificate in historic preservation. Much of his time in government was spent updating zoning ordinances and streamlining zoning processes. His Bachelor's degree is in Urban Studies from the University of Pittsburgh and he holds a Master's degree in Urban Planning from Arizona State University.
Patrick Dehoyos, Zoning Code and Geospatial Analyst
Patrick DeHoyos joined the team with hands-on experience gained through two dynamic internships with county and city governments. During his time at Orange County, Florida, interning for the Development Review Committee, Patrick conducted sufficiency reviews of new development plans; while at the City of Coral Gables’ GIS Division, he expanded his GIS and graphic design skills. He also had the opportunity to work as a data collector for Bike/Walk Central Florida, a regional advocacy organization for bicyclists and pedestrians based in Orlando. Patrick is well-versed in urban development and geographical analysis as he holds a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of Central Florida and a Graduate Certificate in GIS from Michigan State University,
Jake Gilbert, Geospatial Analyst
Jake Gilbert previously worked with the Vermont Zoning Atlas as a Geospatial Analyst Intern and with the National Team. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Middlebury College in Vermont.
Ashleigh Graham-Clarke, Zoning Code Analyst
Ashleigh Graham-Clarke has worked in planning and zoning both domestically and abroad. These opportunities sparked her interest in agricultural zoning and the intersection of the built and natural environments. Ashleigh’s work in housing, historic preservation, environmental policy, and city and urban design have helped shape her approach to reviewing development and architectural plans, and her interest in land use law. Ashleigh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Cornell University and a Master’s degree in Agricultural Science and Entrepreneurship from the University of the West Indies.
Melissa Hayashida, Geospatial Analyst
Melissa Hayashida most recently worked with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, where she provided GIS support for the COVID-19 emergency response. Previously, Melissa worked as a GIS analyst for public utilities and park systems in Washington, Colorado, and California. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Junbo Huang, Zoning Code Analyst
Junbo Huang brings to the NZA years of experience conducting planning research at Cornell University, where he studied the impact of zoning on rural communities. His life experience in U.S. rural communities and China's large cities have cultivated his research interests in affordable housing and zoning regulations. Junbo is keen on evaluating the performance of various affordable housing policies and exploring the financial mechanisms that underpin affordable housing programs. These interests make zoning a critical focal point for him. He holds a Master's degree in Regional Science from Cornell University and another in Urban Planning from Peking University in Beijing.
Rama Karlapalem, Zoning Code Analyst
Rama Karlapalem previously served as an Assistant Vice-President for a private real estate investment and development firm in Georgia where she assisted her team in navigating lengthy and complicated entitlement processes for several multi-million-dollar development projects. She also conducted market research and feasibility studies to determine the highest and best use for potential developments, producing numerous zoning analysis reports under various jurisdictions. She developed business processes and standard operating procedures to effortlessly navigate through the discrete stages of real estate development. Rama holds a Bachelor's degree in Architecture from India and a Master’s degree in Real Estate Development from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Miri Kim, Zoning Code and Geospatial Analyst
Miri Kim previously worked as a GIS intern for the Center for Regional Change, contributing to the California Zoning Atlas. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and Management, with a minor in GIS from the University of California, Davis.
Anthony La, Zoning Code and Geospatial Analyst
Anthony La is a University of California, Davis graduate who has spent almost 2 years working at the UC Davis Center for Regional Change contributing to the National Zoning Atlas as a zoning code and GIS intern. With his knowledge in planning and GIS, he is passionate about studying the intersection within transportation, land use, and equity. Previously, he has earned a Distinguished Merit Scholarship from the California Planning Foundation and served as a Research Fellow for the Institute of Transportation Studies. He holds a B.S. in Sustainable Environmental Design and a B.S. Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning.
Conor Nolan, Geospatial Analyst
Conor Nolan holds experience providing geospatial support to urban design studies at Indiana University and working in the permit office at the City of Indianapolis. There, he helped applicants navigate zoning and building codes in order to get approvals and break ground on their projects. Conor holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a minor in GIS and Remote Sensing from Indiana University.
Jonah Pellechia, Zoning Code Analyst
Jonah Pellecchia previously worked as an Associate Regional Planner at the Southern California Association of Governments where he assembled GIS data layers on land use and zoning for each of the region's 197 member jurisdictions. Jonah has worked at several levels of the planning process including regional agencies, local governments, nonprofit housing developers, and private planning consultants. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Studies from Cornell University as well as a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of California Irvine.
Tara Safavian, Zoning Code and Geospatial Analyst
Tara Safavian previously worked for the Center for Regional Change at the University of California, Davis. There, she spent nearly two years working as a geospatial and zoning code intern, contributing to the National Zoning Atlas while completing her Bachelor's degree. Tara is passionate about leveraging GIS as a tool for social change and advocating for zoning reform initiatives that prioritize equity and sustainability. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Management from UC Davis.
Gemma Tierney, Zoning Analyst
Gemma Tierney previously worked as a transportation planner with an engineering firm, where she worked on planning and public outreach projects for a state DOT. Prior to that, she worked as a planner with municipal and county governments. She holds a Master's degree in Urban Affairs and Public Policy and a graduate certificate in Historic Preservation, both from the University of Delaware.
Coral Troxell, Geospatial Analyst
Coral Troxell previously worked as the Assistant Director of Planning & Development for the City of South Euclid, Ohio, where she established GIS services and coordinated the process of transferring vacant properties back into productive use. She has also worked in regional government for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, for a municipal engineer, and for a nationwide non-profit focused on civil liberties advocacy. Coral holds a Master in Urban Planning, Design & Development and a Graduate Certificate in Urban Geographic Information Systems from Cleveland State University.
Dajoin Williams, Geospatial Analyst
Dajoin Williams previously worked with Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and MapsCorps, where he contributed to land use and community-based asset mapping. As a GIS lab assistant and research assistant at DePaul University, he helped rising researchers to model and analyze spatial disparities, assets, and changes situated in topics of economic and environmental justice. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Geography with a concentration in Urban Planning and Development and a Master's in Sustainable Urban Development from DePaul University.
Samantha Yee, Zoning Code and geospatial Analyst
Samantha Yee previously worked as a geospatial and zoning code intern for the California Zoning Atlas at the UC Davis Center for Regional Change. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Management, with a minor in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning from the University of California, Davis.