Staff
Office of the Executive Director |
| |
|
|
 |
|
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 an alternate director. 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.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
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. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Christine Saum, AIA
Chief Urban Designer
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. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Peter D. Coppelman
Acting General Counsel
Peter Coppelman has extensive experience in the federal, private, and nonprofit sectors. From 1994 to 2001, he served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice. Mr. Coppelman is a graduate of Cornell Law School and Harvard University. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
Pauline Porter, Executive Assistant |
| |
|
|
Planning Divisions |
| |
|
|
Intergovernmental Affairs
The Intergovernmental Affairs Office fosters partnerships and facilitates communication among state & local jurisdictions, federal agencies, and civic stakeholders throughout the National Capital Region. The office ensures that federal resources and activities throughout the region are coordinated to effectively address regional challenges and to foster a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable region. The work of the office includes coordinating inter-agency teams and projects, sponsoring regional outreach and forums, and initiating regional policies and model projects. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
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. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
Andrea Lytle, Urban Planner |
| |
|
|
Physical Planning
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. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
William G. Dowd, P.E.
Director
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. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
Stephen D. Dunakoskie, Architect (Urban Design)
Elizabeth D. Miller, AICP, Sr. Urban Planner/Designer
Sarah Moulton, Urban Planner
Diane Sullivan, Urban Planner
Amy Tarce, Urban Planner
Kenneth T. Walton, Architect (Urban Design) |
| |
|
|
Policy & Research
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.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
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.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Kael W. Anderson, Urban Planner
Eugene A. Keller, ASLA, Urban Planner
Lucy Kempf, Urban Planner
Stacy T. Wood, Urban Planner
David A. Zaidain, Urban Planner |
| |
|
|
Urban Design & Plan Review
Urban Design & 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.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
David W. Levy, RA, AICP
Director
David Levy is a licensed architect with experience in architectural design and construction administration. He has spent the majority of his 20-year career in urban design and planning. Prior to working at NCPC, Mr. Levy served as the transit development manager for Hampton Roads Transit and as a member of the Norfolk, Virginia light rail transit planning team. He also planned mixed-use developments for the U.S. Navy in the United Kingdom, Japan, Bermuda, and the United States. He has a degree in architecture from Virginia Tech and attended the Washington/Alexandria Center for Urban Studies. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
Shane L. Dettman, AICP, Urban Planner (GIS); BZA Representative
Carlton E. Hart, AICP, Urban Planner
Jeffrey L. Hinkle, AICP, Urban Planner
Cheryl Kelly, Urban Planner
Michael W. Weil, AICP, Urban Planner (Transportation)
Nancy Witherell, Historic Preservation Officer |
| |
|
|
Planning Support |
| |
|
|
| Office of Administration |
 |
|
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. |
| |
|
Stefanie D. Brown, Support Services Specialist
Tony D. Champ, Information Technology Manager
Camille R. Lewis, Human Resources Assistant
Patricia Thompson, Information Receptionist
Phyllis A. Vessels, Human Resources Specialist
Roszonna E. Whitsett, Management Assistant
|
| |
|
|
| Office of Public Affairs |
 |
|
Lisa N. MacSpadden
Director
Lisa MacSpadden joined NCPC in 2001. Previously, Ms. MacSpadden served as the acting assistant secretary for public affairs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Prior to her federal service, she worked as a media consultant in the private and non-profit sectors and as a reporter and senior producer at the CBS television affiliate in Phoenix, Arizona. She has a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism from Arizona State University.
|
| |
|
William Herbig, AICP, Urban Planner
Paul A. Jutton, Graphic Designer
Denise V. Powers, Senior Writer-Editor
Scott Sowers, Senior Writer-Editor
Stephen O. Staudigl, Public Affairs Specialist |
| |
|
|
| Office of the Secretariat |
 |
|
Deborah B. Young
Secretariat
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. |
| |
|
Marcella M. Brown, Information Resources Specialist
Long Diep, Management and Program Assistant |
|
