Richards - Cover Letter & Resume - Redacted — File 24-1232

October 24, 2023 To the Planning, Preservation, and Zoning Division: I’m reaching out to apply for the Somerville Planning Board, which was announced in the Somerville Times on October 11, 2023. As my resume indicates, I have extensive experience in urban planning, urban design, and the review and development of zoning codes. While I was the CEO for the Congress for the New Urbanism, I launched the Project for Code Reform, which helps local governments identify small changes to their codes to yield outsized impacts. Experience has shown that even small changes in land development regulations can dramatically help a municipality’s ability achieve its goals and vision for itself. What my resume doesn’t indicate is how closely I’ve followed Somerville’s journey over the past ten years. When I was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design in 2012-2013, I met George Proakis and learned of his and the City’s efforts to transform Somerville into a biker and walker’s paradise. Later, during my CNU tenure, I had a front row seat with the work that Sarah Lewis (another CNU member) was doing. I’ve been so impressed with the successes of Somerville that I moved here in July 2023. I immediately reached out to George and Sarah to ask about ways I might be able to contribute to the City I now call home so I was thrilled when this position opened. While I am supportive and happy about Somerville’s achievements in creating a pedestrian centered environment, I also understand that the city is addressing significant issues around affordable housing, homeless, redevelopment, and opponents to increased bike and pedestrian infrastructure. Often these issues are presented or perceived as being at odds with each other, e.g., why spend money on more bike lanes when the city is not providing enough affordable housing? My extensive professional experience in these issues almost guarantees that I will bring a balanced perspective to discussions and proposals put before the Planning Board. Additionally, through my professional work, I know examples and best practices that other cities have implemented. Sometimes it’s useful to know what other cities with similar demographics have done when trying to balance a myriad of competing issues. Finally, I have provided advice and training to dozens of Planning Boards and commissions throughout the U.S. I am really looking forward to an opportunity to dive deeply into issues in my community and learn the perspective from “the other side of the table.” I’m happy to discuss this further. I look forward to serving Somerville and helping the city continue its journey to be a best-in-class people-centered city and an exceptional place to live, work, play, and raise a family. Best, Lynn Richards

Richards Resume (April 2024) 1 Lynn A. Richards Somerville, MA 02144 EXECUTIVE POSITIONS PRESIDENT AND CEO: CONGRESS FOR THE NEW URBANISM Revitalized the organization; expanded membership, allies, and partners; developed and launched multiple programs; diversified revenue base; and led a strategic planning process that refocused the organization with a renewed mission to help accelerate the pace of change for all communities. Additional accomplishments included: • Launched a diversity, equity and inclusion initiative to ensure that every event, publication, and program included and welcomed diverse perspectives and participants, guided the National Board of Directors to release a first ever CNU position statement, launched a pro-bono design effort for underserved communities, which had a 95% implementation rate, and released CNU’s first strategic plan to directly articulate diversity, equity, and inclusion as an organization goal. • Led the research and co-authored Building Local Strength: Emerging Strategies for Inclusive Development to help local governments, developers, and advocates create more equitable places. The report highlighted on-the-ground strategies that demonstrated how investment in underserved communities can increase access to opportunities and minimize displacement. • To meet local governments where they are in their zoning code reform process, launched the Project for Code Reform, and co-authored five reports on this effort. • Released two editions of Freeways without Futures, 25 Great Ideas of New Urbanism, and supported legislative efforts on Capitol Hill to accelerate highway removal, funding for which was included in the 2021 Infrastructure Bill and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. • As an internationally recognized speaker and leader on New Urbanism, presented on a range of topics, including code reform, economic development, highway removal and transformation, suburban retrofit, green infrastructure, and New Urbanism trends. FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL: LYNN RICHARDS: POLICY, DESIGN, & INTEGRATION Consulting service founded to leverage and expand the city building and revitalization implementation lessons learned by working directly in over 200 communities. Specific expertise and skills include: strategic planning • assessing community readiness • implementation strategies • policy analysis at the federal, state, and local levels • community visioning processes • urban planning, design strategies & policies • training • affordable & missing middle housing • community engagement • green infrastructure • auditing land development regulations • classroom teaching • project management • walk and bike audits ACTING DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Managed all aspects of EPA’s smart growth and sustainable design work, including managing 17 staff, 50 projects, and a $7.0M budget. Major accomplishments as Acting Director included: • Worked with external and internal partners to develop smart growth sustainable design policies, strategies, and regulatory requirements, including strengthening and expanding national coalition of smart growth advocates and organizations. • Developed the Division's 2008-09 strategies plan and budget, including aligning all projects within the Division's 5-year priorities, developing associated performance measures, and maximizing leveraging efforts. For every $1 spent, $8 was leveraged from other federal, state, or local resources. • Revised the Division's process for delivering technical assistance to communities to ensure narrower focus, better alignment with the Division’s priorities, and compliance with Agency's contracting rules. • Briefed EPA senior management, OMB, White House staff, and Congressional staff on all aspects of our smart growth and sustainable design program.

Richards Resume (April 2024) 2 EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF POLICY AND IMPLEMENTATION OFFICER: BLUE ZONES, LLC Responsible for ensuring well-being improvements in Blue Zones communities by working with local partners to identify and implement high impact policy changes in the built environment, food, tobacco, and alcohol policy areas. Managed 40+ policy projects throughout the U.S., led and expanded the policy consulting services, increased policy service revenue over 250%, and expanded the new business pipeline by over four times. POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND ANALYSIS LINCOLN / LOEB FELLOW: HARVARD UNIVERSITY AND LINCOLN INSTITUTE OF LAND POLICY Deepened technical knowledge on rescaling suburban environments. Additionally: • Taught a January-term course on suburban retrofit • Co-taught a semester-length studio on a North Hollywood, CA suburban redevelopment and revitalization project. • Gave guest lectures to a dozen Harvard classes and to eight Boston-based organizations, including two sold-out lectures on suburban retrofit at the Lincoln Institute, and also served as a studio critic during mid-term and final studio reviews. POLICY DIRECTOR & SENIOR POLICY ANALYST: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, OFFICE OF SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Tracked emerging design and development trends to develop the Office’s strategic plan and budget and crafted specific policy initiatives to leverage emerging opportunities. Major accomplishments included: • Worked with dozens state and local governments to implement placemaking approaches by recommending policy changes, developing tools, urban design strategies, and environmental solutions for vibrant, prosperous neighborhoods. • Worked with several EPA offices to: (1) develop standards, policies, and strategies for a national regulation on stormwater management that facilitates downtown revitalization, and (2) incorporate stormwater management into smart growth and green building policies and programs. o Authored two major EPA publications: Protecting Water Resources with Higher Density Development and Protecting Water Resources with Smart Growth. o Partnered with NOAA Coastal Community Development program to include smart growth issues and drafted “Waterfront and Coastal Smart Growth Elements.” • Developed several new community-based technical assistance efforts aimed at providing policy options around common barriers for over 150 communities a year. • Served on USGBC LEED Locational and Planning Technical Advisory Group. • Served as high-level spokesperson for EPA and the DOT-HUD-EPA Sustainable Communities Partnership for engagements at the White House, Office of Management and Budget, state and local governments, and other stakeholder meetings and workshops, including defending our budget to OMB and Congress • EPA AWARDS: Received one gold, one silver, and five bronze medals for outstanding public service in addition to numerous team awards. OTHER EXPERIENCE Senior Associate: ICF CONSULTING Generated new business in the sustainable development sector; analyzed economic, social, and environmental impacts from brownfields redevelopment; and completed legislative and policy analysis on environmental issues. Associate Peace Corps Director—Environment: PEACE CORPS KAZAKHSTAN (Almaty, Kazakhstan) Developed and implemented first environmental program for Peace Corps Kazakhstan; designed and implemented in-service training programs; and coordinated with local and national government officials, international funding organizations, Central Asian academic institutions, and local and international NGOs.

Richards Resume (April 2024) 3 Environmental Program Director (DC) & Central Asian Program Director (Almaty, Kazakhstan): ISAR (FORMERLY THE INSTITUTE FOR SOVIET AND AMERICAN RELATIONS) • Managed ISAR’s environmental projects in the former Soviet republics, including providing public and governmental briefings on the environmental situation in the former Soviet Republics. • Developed and managed an environmental small grants program funded by U.S. Agency for International Development; managed staff and program budget, and collaborated with U.S. AID, U.S. Embassy, and U.S. governmental officials, and local non-governmental organizations. EDUCATION HARVARD UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN, Loeb Fellowship in Advanced Environmental Studies INDIANA UNIVERSITY, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Bloomington, Indiana • Masters of Science in Environmental Science • Masters of Public Administration • Awarded “Most Outstanding Student” by faculty and won a first prize in a Fulbright Essay Contest ALLEGHENY COLLEGE, Meadville, Pennsylvania, B.A. History and Political Science; Russian language minor SELECTED PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS Co-author of numerous CNU-produced documents, including: • 2020. Enabling Better Places: Commercial Corridors and Shopping Centers. For Michigan Economic Development Corporation • 2020. Enabling Better Places: A Handbook for Improved Neighborhoods. For AARP National. • 2020. Enabling Better Places: Zoning for Great Neighborhoods. For Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development. • 2019. Enabling Better Places: Users’ Guide to Zoning Reform. For Michigan Economic Development Corporation. • 2019. Building Local Strength: Emerging Strategies for Inclusive Development. CNU. Primary author of EPA documents: • Water Quality Scorecard: Incorporating Green Infrastructure Practices at the Municipal, Neighborhood, and Site Scales. EPA 231-B09-001. • Protecting Water Resources with Higher Density Development. EPA 231-R-06-001. • Protecting Water Resources with Smart Growth. EPA 231-R-04-002 Chapter and journal author: • “Putting People First: 10 Steps Towards Pedestrian-Friendly Suburbs.” Lincoln Institute of Land Policy Land Lines, 2014. • “Water and Density Debate,” chapter: Sustainable Urbanism—Urban Design with Nature. Doug Farr, John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey, 2008. • “Creating Great Places: The Critical Role of Citizen Participation.” Community Development: Journal of the Community Development Society. Vol. 37, Num. 4, Winter 2006. • Gaffield, S., Goo, R., Richards, L., and Jackson, R. “Public Health of Inadequately Managed Stormwater Runoff.” American Journal of Public Health, September 2003. • Georgia Chapter: Environmental Resources and Constraints in the Former Soviet Republics. Philip Pryde, editor. Westview Press, 1995.