Black Women Leaders: Stories of DC Region Planning

The politically complex Washington, DC; Maryland; and Virginia (DMV) region comprises multiple jurisdictions that include urban, suburban, and rural areas, varied socioeconomic factors, and racially diverse populations. This presentation offers perspectives from four Black women planning leaders who have led diverse teams in the DMV's fast-growth areas, experiencing housing challenges and development pressures. They cover innovative planning approaches — including leveraging inclusive efforts in policy, zoning code, and plan development to advance social change for equitable community planning — and emphasize the importance of planning leadership in multi-agency coordination efforts at the federal, state, county, and local levels. They share successes on upskilling for professional growth while leading multigenerational, multiethnic teams. Find out how each department-leading panelist balances power by influencing public engagement with various community stakeholders and elected officials. Examples include incorporating equity planning in work programs, supporting initiatives to advance diversity programming among staff, and growing partnerships through regional and community stakeholder engagement. The various planning solutions discussed reveal how these planning leaders use their skills to simultaneously build successful alliances, empower their teams, and manage politics.