Town Of Arlington: Two Employees Start With The Arlington Department Of Planning And Community Development

Press release from Town of Arlington:

02/01/2022 4:27 PM

The Arlington Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD) is pleased to announce that two new employees have joined the Department in January. Marisa Lau has joined the staff as the Senior Planner and Talia Fox, AICP, has joined the staff as the Sustainability Manager.

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

Ms. Lau comes to the Town from the City of Worcester, where she served as Senior Planner for the Office of Economic Development. 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. She also has experience as a Recycling Planner and working in park advocacy and conservation. Ms. Lau holds two Masters degrees: a Masters in City Planning with a concentration in City Design and Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Masters in Arts in Anatolian Civilizations and Cultural Heritage Management from Koç University in Istanbul. She has a Bachelor of Arts 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 Ms. Lau. “I hope to connect people with local planning initiatives and facilitate broad participation in decision-making processes for Arlington.”  

Ms. Fox, as Sustainability Manager, will participate in the implementation of the Net Zero Action Plan and administer and manage Green Communities grants and projects. Ms. Fox 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. She will also coordinate with other Town departments, boards, and commissions on larger Town sustainability projects.

Ms. Fox comes to the Town from Kim Lundgren Associates (KLA), where she most recently served as Sustainability Planning Manager, leading participatory net zero planning with municipalities throughout Massachusetts. Prior to KLA, she 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. Ms. Fox 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. Ms. Fox is also 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,” said Ms. Fox. “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!”

About Planning and Community Development: The Arlington Department of Planning and Community Development oversees planning and community development activities within the town and is committed to improving the quality of life in Arlington by improving housing opportunities, transportation access, and economic development to enhance the vitality of our business districts, and preserving and promoting our community’s natural, historic, and cultural resources. The Department oversees many key town-wide initiatives and implementation of long-range plans for the community. The Department manages the Town’s federal Community Development Block Grant Program and has done so since the program’s inception in 1974. The Department also provides staff support to many Town boards, commissions, and committees. For more information about the department, go to: arlingtonma.gov/planning.

Contact: Jennifer Raitt, jraitt@town.arlington.ma.us / 781 316-3092.

This press release was produced by Town of Arlington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.