Arlington Planning Department Adds 2 New Employees

ARLINGTON, MA — Two new employees joined the Arlington Department of Planning and Community Development in January.

Marisa Lau began her tenure as senior planner and Talia Fox, AICP, was hired sustainability manager.

As senior planner, Lau will participate in the implementation of the Arlington Master Plan by advancing several initiatives from the Historic Preservation Survey Master Plan. She will serve as a department liaison to Envision Arlington on the Standing Committee, and as liaison with the Zoning Board of Appeals by providing technical analysis, reviews of special permits and variance requests, and organization interdepartmental reviews.

Lau will also conduct research and studies into a range of topics such as land use, housing, and economic development, examining alternatives and making recommendations in these topic areas.

Lau previously served as senior planner for the Office of Economic Development in Worcester. There, she served as staff liaison to the Planning Board for Planning and Regulatory Services Division, completing technical memos and participating in review sessions for pre-application projects.

Prior to that, she worked at the New Castle County Department of Land Use, where she created plan review processes, facilitated meetings for land use legislative initiatives, and launched a youth outreach program for comprehensive planning. Her previous experience also includes recycling planner and working in park advocacy and conservation.

Lau holds two master's degrees, one in city planning with a concentration in city design and development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and another in arts in Anatolian civilizations and cultural heritage management from Koç University in Istanbul. She has a bachelor's degree in political science and art history from Williams College.

"I'm excited to bring together my interests and experience in municipal government, parks and cultural heritage, and land use planning in this role," said Lau. "I hope to connect people with local planning initiatives and facilitate broad participation in decision-making processes for Arlington."

Fox, as sustainability manager, will participate in the implementation of the Net Zero Action Plan and administer and manage Green Communities grants and projects. She will serve as staff to the Clean Energy Future Committee and the Energy Working Group and will represent Arlington on the Metro Mayors Coalition Climate Change Preparedness Taskforce and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network.

Fox will also coordinate with other town departments, boards, and commissions on larger sustainability projects.

Fox comes to Arlington from Kim Lundgren Associates (KLA), where she most recently served as sustainability planning manager, leading participatory net-zero planning with communities throughout Massachusetts.

Prior to KLA, Fox worked with Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB) as an environmental and sustainability planner, managing climate planning processes and data tracking for municipalities and public agencies in New England. She completed her master's degree in city planning with a concentration in environmental policy and planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her bachelor's degree in linguistics, cum laude, from Harvard University.

She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

"Through my experiences coordinating climate change planning efforts around the region, I know that many municipalities look to Arlington for leadership on climate action," Fox said. "I'm excited to collaborate with dedicated members of our community to build on this strong foundation and deliver on our carbon reduction and clean energy commitments. We have the tools and momentum to demonstrate that an equitable, carbon-free future is possible. Let's get to work!"