Anaiah Johnson (CNU-A), President of CNU-CTX, is a writer and land development practitioner. He is a co-founder of and partner writer for Resident Urbanist (ResidentUrbanist.com), a publication dedicated to helping make our cities work for everyone. He also leads the Central Texas land planning and entitlement efforts for Pulte Group, one of the nation’s largest home builders.

Prior to his current professional roles, Anaiah has worked as a land use consultant for the Austin-based law firm Drenner Group, PC, as a planning manager for the City of Austin, and as an environmental planning consultant to public school districts throughout the state of Texas.

Anaiah comes to CNU-CTX with 19 years of planning experience and degrees in geography and public administration.

Priya Patel (CNU-A), Treasurer of CNU-CTX, works as a city planner and urban designer at Black + Vernooy Architecture and Urban Design. She is passionate about sustainable urban development, especially as it pertains to the city’s ability to repurpose its resources. She values design, equity, and the arts in all areas of life and strives to create buildings that are built for social good through their use, functionality, accessibility, and sustainability.

Priya pursued a dual master degree from the University of Texas at Austin in the School of Architecture. Her dual Master of Science degree is in City and Regional Planning and Urban Design. She previously completed her five-year undergraduate studies in Architecture from VDA, School of Architecture, and is licensed to practice architecture in India. After her formal education, she joined multiple advocay and nonprofit groups to support and echo local voices and intergate equity and justice in planning projects. Priya is one of 12 individuals from across the US selected for NACTO’s 2021 Transportation Justice Fellowship.

Daniel Kavelman, Secretary of CNU-CTX, is the projects and policy manager at Shoal Creek Conservancy, advocating for active transportation and green space improvements in the Shoal Creek Watershed. He grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he spent time exploring public lands and cultural treasures. After moving to Austin, he has worked in local advocacy both professionally and as a volunteer, pushing for more inclusive land use policies and greater transportation options. Daniel also serves on the City of Austin's Urban Transportation Commission and Pedestrian Advisory Council. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with degrees in Letters and Music Performance.

Courtney W Banker is dedicated to fostering affordable, multimodal, and diverse communities. She joined the City of Austin’s Housing Development Team in 2022 to support acquisitions and development for the Austin Housing Finance Corporation. In just over two years, she has closed on financing for almost 850 units and supported AHFC’s portfolio of over 2,500 units—almost all of which are affordable. Formerly a transportation planner in Los Angeles and Orlando, Courtney still feels that some of the most rewarding and fun work she has done includes facilitating Bike to Work Days across Florida and walk audits across Southern California. Along with her now-husband, Courtney co-founded The Homage Project in 2018, a digital publication that featured 14 articles analyzing urban design, mobility, and land use from travels to 40 cities across 16 countries. They sought to challenge the development paradigm in much of their home state of Florida and experience first-hand places built around people, not cars. They lived car-free in Los Angeles and Austin, and are always eager to talk about bike infrastructure, transit, and crosswalks. Courtney serves on the Education and Qualified Allocation Plan committees for the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers. She completed a master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Austin and holds a bachelor’s in Environmental Studies from Rollins College. 

Christine Barton-Holmes (CNU-A) is Program Manager over site plan review with the Development Services Department for the City of Austin. Christine fosters appreciation of the urban environment and professional development for her team. She has worked for various cities such as Indianapolis and Carmel as an urban planner and designer for 18 years, and has a Masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning, with an emphasis on urban design, from Ball State University.

She has earned CNU-A and LEED AP accreditations, has served on the Board of Directors for the Indiana Chapter of the US Green Building Council, and participated in numerous speaking events.

Melissa is the Senior Policy Advisor for Austin’s District 9 Council Member, Zo Qadri, specializing in inclusive housing and land use policy. Her career has been a commitment to equity, justice and inclusivity in neighborhoods and cities, emphasizing fair and affordable housing, active transportation, and freeway fighting. She has earned a bachelor’s in Environmental Science, master’s in Community and Regional Planning, and her planning certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners. She has previously served Austin on the CodeNEXT Community Advisory Group and volunteered for WalkAustin and BikeAustin. In her free time, Melissa is an avid bicyclist, dancer, and explorer of local businesses.

Chris is a Sr. Project Manager| Vice President at HKS Inc. Austin, with over 26-years’ experience working on major urban intervention projects Internationally and in Texas, including the Port of Spain - Trinidad Waterfront Redevelopment Master Plan, Jamaica Houses of Parliament in National Heroes Park, Trinidad Rapid Rail, & Austin Transit Partnership Light Rail. He served 6-years on the Houston AIA Urban Design Committee. Former member of the Business and Education Committee for the Hoston West Chamber of Commerce. Community Business Partner with the Alief ISD’s Education Instructional Committee and 2021 Bond Committee.

Chris has a master’s in urban design from the Joint Centre for Urban Design (JCUD), Oxford UK and Graduate Diploma in Architecture (RIBA Part II) from Oxford Brookes University, Oxford UK. He is an Int. Assoc. AIA and licensed in the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago. Chris has been recognized as a distinguished alumni for his contribution to Architecture throughout the Caribbean by the University of Technology, Kingston Jamaica, where he has also served as a member of the final year master’s in architecture course for the last four years.

Mudita Bilay is an Urban Designer and Architect with a keen interest in vibrant, walkable urban spaces and public realms. She is passionate about thoughtful design that bridges accessibility and equity with art and architecture to foster inclusive, functional and resilient urban environments. Mudita earned her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Mumbai and her Master of Science in Urban Design from the University of Texas at Austin. She is an Associate Member of AIA, an Urban Design Committee member of AIA Austin, and a member of the Texas chapter of the American Planning Association. Mudita currently works as an Urban Designer at McCann Adams Studio, where her work involves shaping thriving urban landscapes and public spaces through community master planning, streetscape and architectural strategies aimed at enhancing the quality of urban living. She has contributed to the Project Connect Light Rail studies, Colony Park Sustainable Community Master Plan, and Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative.

Candace Craig is President of Nora Engineering & Planning. Candace worked for Urban Design Group (UDG) upon graduation for about 9 years then worked for the City of Austin as a Senior Planner for the transportation review team before returning to UDG in 2015. She transitioned to Dunaway Associates in August of 2018. She understands that collaboration with planning needs and issues improves the final design and end-user experience. Candace is well versed in the city process and code. She has been and is involved in many master plan projects over the years including the South Pleasant Valley Corridor and Manchaca Corridor, which were recently completed, Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative, and Seaholm Master Plan. She has also been involved in the engineering design for notable projects such as Downtown District Cooling Plan No. 3, Town Lake Park Community Events Center and Garage, Town Lake Park Cultural Landscape, Alliance Children’s Garden, and Magnolia Montessori for All. She follows ULI, NACTO, and is very interested in context-sensitive and multi-modal design.

Christine Freundl is an urban designer who believes in the powerful role that equitable, inclusive, creative, and sustainable development plays in the resiliency of our communities. 

With 20 years of professional experience in land planning, architecture and urban design, Christine prioritizes working across disciplines to address changes to our environment and economies in ways that respect the existing fabric of our communities while welcoming and creating space for new residents and the generations to come. 

Currently, Christine is a Redevelopment Project Manager with the City of Austin focusing on the creation and implementation of public-private partnerships such the Mueller Redevelopment, Colony Park Sustainable Community, and redevelopment of the St. John Site (also known as the former Home Depot). When not working on community building, she can be found enjoying Central Texas by exploring the greenbelts, testing out Austin’s amazing and eclectic food scene, and enjoying live music.

Kevin Howard is a Principal and Urban Design Lead at Code Studio, a boutique planning and urban design firm specializing in form-based codes. Kevin currently manages the re:code LA project, a full zoning ordinance rewrite for the city of Los Angeles, as well as a master plan and development standards project for a large-scale private development. Kevin is also intimately involved with several other regulatory projects and city building initiatives across the country.

In his work, research and advocacy, Kevin focuses on promoting abundant and equitable housing, human-oriented and resilient places, sustainability through land use planning and infrastructure systems, and the democratization of city building. Kevin is based in Austin, TX and in his free-time enjoys carpentry, camping and spending time with his family and friends.

John ‘Sawyer’ McCarley is a dual degree student at UT Austin, pursuing his studies in Community & Regional Planning and Urban Design. Before returning to school, Sawyer worked in disaster management, contributing to the recovery efforts across the U.S., particularly in Montana and Louisiana. In these roles, he focused on strengthening local capacity to prepare for and respond to future disasters. When not deployed with FEMA, Sawyer worked as a chef in Austin where he partnered with farmers across Texas to help establish farm to table relationships between local farmers and restaurants while promoting sustainable farming practices. His experiences have shaped a career dedicated to fostering sustainable and equitable recovery for communities affected by natural disasters. Along the way, he has worked with local nonprofits, governmental agencies, and student organizations that share this mission.

In his free time, Sawyer enjoys exploring Austin’s greenbelt, biking with friends, and diving into the city’s vibrant food scene. 

Chris Rice has completed more than 40 master plan projects over his 30-year career,. These range from small private colleges to tier-one, public research universities including bio-medical research parks. Chris began his planning career at Ayers/Saint/Gross Architects in their nationally acclaimed campus planning studio in Baltimore where he led master plans for Arizona State University, Johns Hopkins University, Emory University, UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Wisconsin, University of Maryland and UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. He has led dozens of urban planning efforts including the City of San Marcos, City of Denton, City of McKenny, Traditions Town Center and the City of Edinberg.

After receiving his master’s degree from the University of Maryland, Chris was an adjunct faculty member and taught graduate level courses during his ten-year tenure including Design Studios, Site Design, Site Analysis, and Perspective Drawing. His teaching career began at Baltimore’s prestigious Maryland Institute College of Art.

Chris has a Master of Architecture from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is a licensed Architect in the State of Texas. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Society of College & University Planners, the Texas Association of College & University Facility Professionals, and the Urban Land Institute.

Dave Sullivan is a Research Associate in the Center for Energy and Environmental Resources at The University of Texas at Austin, where he studies air pollution. He was previously employed at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and had an earlier career as an aerospace engineer. Dave received his bachelors degree in Engineering and Applied Sciences from Harvard University, and his M.S. degree in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering and Ph.D. degree in Management Sciences and Information Systems from The University of Texas at Austin.

He has served on several City of Austin citizen boards, including the Planning Commission for 16 years, the CodeNEXT Advisory Group, the Zero Waste Advisory Commission, and the Bond Oversight Committee. He currently serves as a board member for CNU-CTX and Evolve Austin, while also serving on the HousingWorks Advocacy Committee, on Capital Metro’s Project Connect Ambassador Network, on the Finance & Risk Committee for the Austin Transportation Partnership, and on the Cultural Trust Advisory Committee for the Austin Economic Development Corporation.

Addie Walker (CNU-A) works as the Advocacy Program Manager at Black + Vernooy Architecture and Urban Design based in Austin, Texas. She uses her background in public health to make her hometown more walkable, equitable, and sustainable. She provides support for local nonprofits and community groups in Austin and Central Texas working to improve transportation and land use, and advocates for elevating youth, queer, and POC voices. She is a fellow of the 2022 Texas State Walking College.

Liang Wang is an architect, urban designer, and educator. He is an Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at Austin. He previously taught at The Harvard University Graduate School of Design and Syracuse University School of Architecture. Liang’s scholarship and teaching concern history and theory of urban form and design, space and politics of the superblock, architecture and urbanism in East Asia, as well as urban housing and collective living. Liang is the co-author of the book Chinese Modern: Episodes Backward and Forward in Time (Birkhäuser, 2022) and Urban Blocks and Grids: History, Technical Features, and Outcomes (Scholars’ Press, 2019). Liang is the co-founder of Commons Office—a research-minded design practice embracing a trans-scalar and trans-disciplinary approach to architecture and urbanism. Prior to founding Commons Office, he practiced internationally at Herzog & de Meuron, SOM, WW Architecture, and Atelier Liu Yuyang Architects, where he worked on projects including the Skolkovo University in Moscow, Tanjong Pagar Center in Singapore, and the Anting Auto Town R&D Harbor in Shanghai. Liang received his Doctor of Design, and Master of Architecture and Urban Design degrees from Harvard University, as well as a Master of Architecture degree from Rice University. 

Jake Wegmann has taught and conducted research at UT Austin’s School of Architecture, in the Community and Regional Planning program, since 2014. His research primarily focuses on housing affordability and its intersections with land use regulation and real estate development. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to entering academia, he worked in for-profit and nonprofit affordable housing development in Denver and San Francisco. Jake lives with his wife and daughter in Austin. In his spare time, he enjoys bike riding, hiking, and camping.