Cook-ZBA_Redacted — File 22-1719

April 28, 2022 Mayor’s Appointments Advisory Committee City of Somerville 93 Highland Avenue Somerville, MA 02143 Dear Members of the Appointments Advisory Committee: Please accept this letter and accompanying resume in application for one of the open seats on the Somerville Zoning Board of Appeals. Although a recent transplant to Somerville, having moved in February 2021 to live near immediate family, I am no stranger to Massachusetts. I lived in Worcester for 24 years, raising a family and serving as a tenured member of the faculty of Clark University before pursing other career opportunities at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg and Alexandria, Virginia. Since arriving in Somerville, I have been keenly interested in how this dynamic small city is navigating the challenges of preserving its past, strengthening its resilience, and improving its livability, all while growing and changing as it must. Serving on the Zoning Board of Appeals offers a valuable opportunity to contribute to enhancing Somerville’s quality of life. As my resume of selected experience shows, my principal expertise is in teaching, research, and community service in public administration and public policy. Nevertheless, over the course of my career I have been connected to most of the areas of expertise considered beneficial for service on the Board. To highlight just two such connections, while at Virginia Tech I was centrally involved in the creation of a state-wide land use education program for local planning and zoning board members in Virginia, and early in my career I worked in community planning and development and in support of the architecture and design profession. If you require additional details about my background or interests through a scheduled interview or other means, my contact information can be found below and on my resume. Sincerely yours, Brian J. Cook

DIRECTOR, RESEARCH AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT, AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS, 1979-1982 Conducted research and advised the Executive Vice President and AIA board on initiatives to support the national architectural profession. Worked closely with other AIA staff to developed advocacy positions on major legislation and regulatory programs affecting the work of architects, including architecture and engineering standards for the built environment, land use planning, and environmental quality. Also served as research advisor to a committee led by the Architect of the Capitol conducting a national survey of historic buildings. PROGRAM ANALYST, COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, 1977-1979 Part of the team that analyzed data and designed research to evaluate the Community Development Block Grant program. Lead staff person for Urban Development Action Grant small cities regulations. Worked with localities on the preparation of and implementation plans for their CDBG and UDAG grant proposals. Education PhD, Government and Politics, University of Maryland, 1984; MA, Government and Politics, University of Maryland, 1982; BA, Political Science, Cleveland State University, 1977 Skills Extensive training in formal policy analysis and applied statistics. General familiarity with land use law and zoning ordinances. Well versed in the complex interplay of urban economies, state and local policy and politics, transportation planning, and residential, commercial, and industrial development and revitalization. 2