CHRIS SINCLAIR, AICP, President and Founding Owner     contact info
Chris is one of the firm’s visionary leaders who has spent most of his 25 year career integrating transportation, technology and urban design. He applies a holistic systems approach to developing plans that embody the concepts of placemaking and help to create cities that work at all scales. He leads many of the firm’s regional scenario planning and visioning projects and is responsible for the development of CorPlan, the firm’s land use modeling and visioning tool. His experience covers all aspects of the planning field with a solid base in transportation planning, travel demand modeling, fiscal impact analysis and long range transportation planning for MPOs. Chris also teaches regularly, and has developed training courses in land use and transportation planning for the Federal Highway Administration and the National Highway Institute. He has taught college courses in community design and transportation planning at Rollins College, University of Virginia and the University of Florida. Chris completed his undergraduate work at Virginia Tech and holds a master’s degree in Urban Planning at Florida State University.

WHIT BLANTON, AICP, Vice President and Founding Owner         contact info
Whit specializes in multimodal planning and strategic communications, leading several of the firm’s major transportation projects. He has 19 years of planning experience, working primarily for Metropolitan Planning Organizations and local governments. Tapping into his journalism background, he brings the unique skill of storytelling to all projects, with a focus on translating complex technical issues into understandable policy considerations for elected officials, agency staff, the media and the general public. Whit is also an experienced facilitator and excels at crafting community outreach programs that meaningfully engage the public. He serves as chair of the American Planning Association's Divisions Council, and is Past Chair of APA's Transportation Planning Division, which he led from 2000 to 2004. He holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Florida and conducted his master’s level work in urban & regional planning at Florida State University.

GLEN S. DUKE, Principal and Founding Owner         contact info
Glen is a senior technical specialist with the firm who oversees geographic information systems (GIS) applications, mapping and database related work. His talents lie in combining disparate data sets including parcel, census, roadway and land use layers, concurrency spreadsheets, CAD drawings, aerial photos and travel demand model input and output files to facilitate technical analysis. Glen holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography from University of South Florida.

VLADIMIR GAVRILOVIC, AICP, Principal of Planning         contact info
Vlad specializes in urban and environmental planning. Trained in urban planning and architecture, he has more than 20 years of experience in community planning, urban design, environmental resource assessment, and the development of design standards for landscape and ecosystem protection. Vlad joined Renaissance Planning Group in 2006 after more than 12 years as principal and founder of Paradigm Design, an award-wining firm specializing in sustainable land planning and design. The firm served dozens of local governments and non-profit organizations in rural areas and towns in the Mid Atlantic region. His design focus has centered on addressing the challenges of providing new models and prototypes for sustainable design, resource conservation, and rural preservation, within vital, human-scaled communities. Vlad holds a master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s of Architecture from the University of Illinois.

CLARENCE ENG, AICP, Principal of Planning and Design         contact info
Clarence has extensive experience directing complex land use, transportation, and revitalization projects in urban and large redevelopment areas, coordinating multi-disciplinary teams of in-house and outside consultants, public and private sector stakeholders, and extensive direct client relations. His experience in both the public and private sectors engaged in strategic planning, public involvement, public policy, town planning, urban design, project management and sustainable development provides clients with a breadth and depth of understanding throughout the development process. He holds dual master’s degrees in Planning and Urban Design from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor’s in Landscape Architecture from the University of Montreal.

DAVID AUSHERMAN, ASLA, Principal of Planning and Design         contact info
David has extensive experience in large scale design, urban and regional planning and computer modeling. His experience includes both public and private sector design projects from site to regional scales. Most notably, David has been involved in several large-scale regional scenario planning and visioning initiatives including Region 2040, a plan for the Portland region that included land use, transportation and open space planning for a 50-year forecast, Envision Utah, Chicago Metropolis 2020, Envision Central Texas. David completed his master’s degree in Design Studies from Harvard University and his undergraduate degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Florida.

KATHARINE ANGE, AICP, Project Manager and Orlando Office Leader         contact info
Kate possesses a unique blend of management, communication and facilitation skills, which allows her to adeptly integrate multidisciplinary approaches to complex planning problems. As a generalist planner her project experience is diverse including scenario planning and visioning, corridor studies, multimodal transportation planning, master plans, urban design, park planning, and redevelopment. She excels in persuasive communications and effectively framing planning issues to help elected officials, stakeholders and the public clearly understand tradeoffs associated with land use and transportation policy development and decision making. She holds a master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia, and bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Rollins College.

FRANK W. KALPAKIS, AICP, Planning Principal and Tampa Office Leader         contact info
Frank has in-depth knowledge of the federal and state transportation planning processes, most notably through his work with Metropolitan Planning Organizations and the Florida Department of Transportation. Frank was instrumental in developing the state’s Efficient Transportation Decision Making (ETDM) Process which provides early environmental and socio-cultural effects considerations for transportation projects. His experience covers a wide range of transportation, land use, and resource preservation initiatives including environmental streamlining, long range transportation plans, vision plans, transportation disadvantaged service plans, mobility management processes, comprehensive plans, corridor studies, freight movement studies, and public involvement. Frank holds both a master’s and bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of New Orleans and University of Southwestern Louisiana respectively.

HANNAH TWADDELL, Project Manager         contact info
Hannah has more than 19 years of experience building consensus and developing plans and studies for local and regional governments. Hannah is skilled at public facilitation, writing and teaching and has led research and training courses on land use and transportation integration for the National Academy of Sciences and FHWA. She served for several years as Assistant Director of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission and for more than a decade as chief staff to the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization in Charlottesville, Virginia. Hannah is a prolific writer and contributes regularly to “Forward Motion,” the transportation planning column for the nationally distributed Planning Commissioner’s Journal, and serves as Newsletter Editor for the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association. Hannah holds a degree of Bachelor of Arts in English & Music History from Oberlin College; Master of Arts in Teaching, University of Pittsburgh and has completed advanced coursework in public involvement and transportation planning.

WILLIAM 'BILL' WUENSCH, PE, PTOE, Engineering Principal and Charlottesville Office Leader         contact info
Bill’s expertise is primarily focused in the area of traffic engineering and transportation planning. He has also prepared minor roadway geometric designs, civil site design, and drainage system analysis and designs. His traffic engineering and transportation planning experience includes a wide variety of projects such as: traffic impact studies, corridor studies, access management studies, signal studies/design, signing studies, signing and marking design, roadway lighting design, traffic operational analyses, parking studies and design, traffic calming, ITS planning, corridor location studies, bicycle and pedestrian facility studies, traffic data collection, and traffic safety studies. Bill is highly conversant in traffic flow theory and is knowledgeable of industry software applications for traffic operations analyses.

KAREN KISELEWSKI, AICP, Senior Planner/Project Coordinator         contact info
Karen is a generalist senior planner responsible for providing professional services on a variety of the firm's transportation, land use, and community visioning and planning projects. Her project experience is in municipal issues, comprehensive planning, growth management, public participation, and special studies. Karen possesses strong analytical skills including data collection, analysis, and problem solving for complex issues and her excellent communication skills will assist in the establishment of community consensus and effective public policy. Karen holds a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from Florida Atlantic University and bachelors and masters degrees from the California Institute of Technology and Ohio State University.

DAVID S. NELSON, RLA, ASLA, Project Manager         contact info
David is a registered landscape architect with over 24 years experience in planning and design. He has worked on a wide range of projects, including development of multi-use PDs, large-scale land inventory and site feasibility studies, roadway alignment, development of commercial and industrial parks, private and public recreational facilities, and golf course design. He has also been involved in eminent domain work, military projects, erosion and sedimentation control design and implementation, and construction coordination. David has a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia.

ALAN STEINBECK, AICP, Project Manager         contact info
Alan has 10 years of experience as a planning and design professional overseeing projects and programs that involve transportation, land use and design. He has successfully managed the completion numerous projects including corridor and area plans, community plans, and visioning efforts. Alan has worked extensively with local governments, MPOs, and transportation agencies in developing policies and standards for roadway design, land use and urban design. He has gained a thorough knowledge of transportation issues at the local and regional level and can effectively create solutions for roadways and transit. His background in architecture and urban design provides a unique understanding of the built environment and its effect on travel behavior and quality of life. Alan is a two time graduate of Georgia Tech, holding a Master of City Planning and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture.

BRAD SHEFFIELD, Project Manager         contact info
Brad serves as a project manager for the firm’s new office in Tallahassee and also as a company-wide resource for transit planning. He provides technical assistance for transit planning for a wide range of projects and clients. Brad’s solid understanding of practices, procedures and standards of the urban and rural transit market, along with his real-world experience, are invaluable to Renaissance’s multimodal transportation planning and transit oriented development approach. Brad has nine years of experience ranging from regional/rural transit program development and coordination to urban transit service design and supportive land use development. He has focused his career on transit development for sustainable growth and community connectivity.

DO KIM, PH. D, Senior Planner/Designer         contact info
Do Kim has extensive experience managing complex transportation, urban design, and visualization projects in urban and large redevelopment areas, coordinating multi-disciplinary teams of in-house and outside consultants, public and private sector stakeholders. His experience in both the academia and industry engaged in crash mapping, multi-modal transportation planning, community walkability analyses, and urban visualization projects provides him with a breadth and depth of understanding at all stages of the planning process. Dr. Kim has received numerous awards, has presented in several international/national conferences, and is a workshop instructor at the international URISA conference. Do completed his Ph.D. in Planning at the University of Florida, his master’s in Urban Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and holds both graduate and undergraduate degree’s in Public Administration from Kyung-Hee University.

Charles Smith, PE, PTOE, Project Manager         contact info
Charles specializes in traffic operations, traffic engineering and transportation planning with both public and private sector experience. His technical skills include the use of the current traffic operations software applications and a thorough understanding of the industry regulations and requirements. More importantly, his experience allows him to use the complete transportation tool box to solve real world transportation problems. Charles has recently been the project manager or lead traffic engineer on a variety of transportation projects including traffic impact studies, operations and simulation studies, signal timing projects, signing and pavement marking projects, corridor studies, access management studies, traffic calming projects, bicycle and pedestrian facility studies, and safety studies.

SHILPA MEHTA, Senior Planner and Urban Designer         contact info
Shilpa is trained as both an architect and a planner, and possesses a unique combination of analytical, design and management skills. She spent several years as an architectural designer working on a diverse range of projects involving historic preservation, urban redevelopment and new construction. With the completion of her master’s degree in Urban Planning, Shilpa’s focus transitioned to the field of urban design. She has been involved in the development of design guidelines, comprehensive planning, multimodal transportation planning, redevelopment, and scenario planning since joining Renaissance. Shilpa holds dual master’s degrees, one in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and one in Architecture from Morgan State University.

NICK LEPP, AICP, Senior Transportation Planner         contact info
Nick is a senior transportation planner with experience in travel demand modeling, socioeconomic forecasting, geographic information systems (GIS) applications, mapping and database related work. Nick provides analytical and management support on a variety of project types, often leading major work efforts in long range transportation planning, traffic studies, site plan reviews, scenario planning, corridor studies and community plans. Nick holds a bachelor’s degree in Urban and Environmental Planning from Salem State College.

CATHERINE HARTLEY, AICP, Senior Planner         contact info
Catherine has a diverse range of professional planning experience covering both supervisory and analytical roles, including transportation planning, historic resources and redevelopment planning, waterfront planning and preparation of land development codes and comprehensive plan elements. Catherine is very familiar with Florida’s growth management laws having previously worked for the Department of Community Affairs and as a local government planner. Catherine has a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning and a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Social Science from Florida State University.

LORI E. GARDNER, AICP, Senior Planner         contact info
Lori's experience comprises community planning, comprehensive planning, transportation planning and hazard mitigation planning. She has a firm knowledge of Florida’s Efficient Transportation Decision Making (ETDM) process, including sociocultural effects evaluation, development of project descriptions and purpose and need statements, and is proficient with the Environmental Screening Tool (EST). Lori graduated from Florida State University with a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning. She also holds an undergraduate degree in Sociology from Birmingham-Southern College.

JASON ESPIE, Planner         contact info
Jason has had a lifelong interest with the many systems humans create that shape their relationships to each other and the land. After over 10 years working for The Mountain Institute, a community based-conservation planning and policy non-profit, these interests lead him to pursue a career in planning. Jason’s professional experience includes project management, policy analysis, fundraising, publishing, graphic design, training, and facilitation. These skills have proven useful in the complex and challenging world of urban and environmental planning where he has most recently worked on projects involving community participation, watershed management, comprehensive planning, scenario planning and visioning, GIS analysis, modeling, mapping and graphic visualization. Jason completed his graduate degree in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia, and has a bachelor’s from State University of New York, College at Purchase.

AMANDA TAYLOR, Planner         contact info
Amanda is a planner with Renaissance who brings a unique perspective to rural and urban planning issues. Prior to joining the firm, she was a graduate associate at the Institute for Environmental Negotiation, at the University of Virginia where she assisted with the design and implementation of community involvement processes and coordinated a national conference for the Community-Based Collaboratives Research Consortium. Amanda holds a master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s in American Studies from the University of Miami.

TIM WHALER, Planner         contact info
Tim combines his educational background in architecture and geography with real world experience in multimodal transportation planning and placemaking. From corridor studies to bicycle and pedestrian plans, Tim serves in multiple capacities on projects including GIS analyses, transportation demand modeling, traffic impact reviews, urban design and public involvement. Tim completed coursework in architecture at Florida Agricultural Mechanical University and received his undergraduate degree in Urban Planning from Florida State University.

KRISTIN NELSON, Urban Designer         contact info
Kristin is an urban designer with a diverse background of professional experiences. Prior to her career in design, she worked in business and economic consulting where she honed her project management and communication skills. As an urban designer, she excels at addressing complex placemaking challenges at the site, corridor and regional scales. Kristin holds a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Virginia, and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University.

JIM McGREGOR, GIS Analyst and Planner         contact info
Jim's experience includes gathering, manipulating and mapping geographic data for planning analyses. He is familiar with building geodatabases, digitizing and georeferencing data and conducting data collection for public and private sector organizations. Jim holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.