MEET THE NATIONAL ZONING ATLAS STAFF
ALINE FADER, PROJECT COORDINATOR (ZONING CODE)
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 an MS in Library and Information Science and an MS in City and Regional Planning, both from Pratt Institute - a combination that lends itself well to the development of an efficient data gathering framework for the NZA.
SCOTT MARKLEY, PROJECT COORDINATOR (GEOSPATIAL)
Prior to joining the team, 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 in May 2023.
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 joins the team after seven years in the tech industry, developing applications and leading projects to maintain and assure quality of open-source geodata. He's excited to move into the not-for-profit sector and leverage his experience in support of civic information and participation with the NZA. 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 joins the team after a decade of working as a professional planner 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 joins the team after two years working 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.
Devon Chodzin, Zoning Code Anaylst
Devon Chodzin joins the NZA team after working 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 comes to the NZA team after twenty years of working in city government. He was a zoning administrator and city planner for municipalities in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Virginia and Georgia. 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. He also holds a certificate in historic preservation. Much of his time in government was spent updating zoning ordinances and streamlining zoning processes.
Ashleigh Graham-Clarke, Zoning Code Analyst
Ashleigh Graham-Clarke joins the team after years of experience 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. Ashleigh is excited to bring her zoning experience to NZA and looks forward to pursuing 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.
Patrick Dehoyos, Geospatial Analyst
Patrick DeHoyos is excited to join the National Zoning Atlas, bringing with him 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, Florida.
With a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of Central Florida and a Graduate Certificate in GIS from Michigan State University, Patrick is well-versed in urban development and geographical analysis.
Melissa Hayashida, Geospatial Analyst
Melissa Hayashida joins the team after two years 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 comes to the team after 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 joins the team after serving 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. Rama 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 SOPs 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 in Real Estate Development from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Conor Nolan, Geospatial Analyst
Conor Nolan joins the team after providing geospatial support to urban design studies at Indiana University. He also draws on his experience 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 of Science in International Studies with a minor in GIS and Remote Sensing from Indiana University.
Jonah Pellechia, Zoning Code Analyst
Jonah Pellecchia comes to the National Zoning Atlas after working 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 of Science in Urban and Regional Studies from Cornell University as well as a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of California Irvine.
Olivia Ranseen, Zoning Code Anaylst
Olivia Ranseen is a dedicated urbanist living in Nashville. She is fascinated by the trajectory of urbanism in the American South — specifically how to create walkable, vibrant communities given that the region largely developed post-car. Previously, Olivia worked for Metro Nashville’s Planning Department and witnessed firsthand how zoning rules often prevent urban development. Prior to her time at Metro Nashville, she led hazard mitigation planning at the Kentuckiana Regional Planning & Development Agency in Louisville, KY. Olivia majored in Environmental Management and graduated from Indiana University Bloomington’s O’Neill School of Public & Environmental Affairs in 2019.
Tara Safavian, Geospatial Analyst
Tara Safavian joines the Atlas after working for the Center for Regional Change at the University of California, Davis. There, she spent nearly two years working indirectly for the Atlas as both a Zoning Code and GIS intern 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 B.S. in Environmental Science and Management from U.C. Davis.
Coral Troxell, Geospatial Analyst
Coral Troxell comes to the National Zoning Atlas after working 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 joins the National Zoning Atlas team after working with Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and MapsCorps, where he has contributed to land use and community-based asset mapping. As a GIS lab assistant and research assistant at DePaul University, he has 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 expects to graduate in spring 2024 at DePaul University with a Master's in Sustainable Urban Development.
Taimaisú Ferrer Sin, Zoning Analysis Intern
Taimaisú Ferrer Sin is a second-year law student at the University of Miami School of Law. She is a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholar and an NAACP LDF Earl Warren Scholar. During the summer of 2023, Taimaisú served as a HOPE Summer Public Interest Fellow with Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. in the Consumer Unit. In addition to her work with the National Zoning Atlas, Taimaisú is a fellow for the Housing and Community Equity Project within the Center for Ethics and Public Service at the University of Miami School of Law. She received her Bachelor of Architecture with a minor in Education from Cornell University in 2022.