CAREER GOALS AND AMBITIONS

I envision a profession that focuses on fostering unique community identities through educating civic leaders and community members on the importance of making marketable cities. Allowing community members to participate in public projects will help make living spaces successful, both socially and economically. This approach delivers better public services to stakeholders, reduces crime, and improves social behaviors in areas where change is desired.

My previous work experiences in the transportation industry, the air conditioning industry, and the Acropolis Restoration Services in Greece have contributed to my goals of being an urban planner. These managerial experiences made me realize the importance economic developers have in preserving historically-significant areas and how successful multi-modal transportation designs may be integrated into like spaces. Great city planners and urban designers possess characteristics associated with the learned strategies of active listening and collaboration. During my professional and academic careers, I have been involved in leadership groups and professional roles that allowed me to develop these characteristics more fully and foster change in Atlanta communities and the Georgia Tech Campus. I look forward to implementing this knowledge base in the complex environment urban planners and designers face in upcoming development trends for urbanizing suburbia and large-scale community projects.

Having a Certificate in Heritage Preservation, I also aim to mitigate socioeconomic issues that arise from transit-oriented development initiatives. I hope to integrate the interests of community agendas with the drive of economic sustainability by implementing unique development and zoning strategies that help benefit the long-term growth of cities and regional areas.