Meet The Smart Growth V2 Team

Dan is a community leader and  social activist. He is a Supreme Court Bar certified attorney with multiple appearances before SCOTUS.  Dan has represented the United States of America in the federal courts, enforcing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 among other federal laws related to equality and civil rights. He has served Maryland counties and the State itself as well as countless international entities for many years, including supporting various Governors of Maryland in the implementation of state economic development projects. He personally knew Dr. Martin Luther King and was inspired by him directly to become a lawyer.

Brian is a tireless community advocate and executive who has worked extensively with low income and in-need individuals in populations around the world. He has developed dynamic projects to assist low-income populations to achieve appropriate wages and life quality as well as to have access to services and resources otherwise made inaccessible via systemic design flaws. He has a strong drive to improve local communities and to serve our most vulnerable populations. Brian believes in a "bottom-up" approach, and creates infrastructure that challenges existing models, creating new, more equitable programming and policy for the people.

As Governor of Maryland (1995-2003), Parris Glendening created the nation’s first Smart Growth program. He speaks across the country and around the world about Smart Growth, sustainability, global climate change, transit-oriented development, and equity. He regularly addresses environmental advocacy groups, business leaders, professional organizations, and public officials.

Former Senator Ronald Young served the great State of Maryland from 2011-2023. He has been a dedicated public servant his entire life, including as mayor of Frederick, Maryland from 1973-1989.  In addition to his ground-breaking work with Smart Growth America alongside Governor Parris Glendening, he served as the Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and as the Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of Planning.

Jennifer has worked in the field of occupational therapy for the past 21 years and is passionate about nutrition, sustainable and regenerative organic agriculture, and the environment.  She has worked directly with the American Occupational Therapy Association to develop criterion for certification in school-based settings. Additionally, she is a co-author of Best-Practices for Occupational Therapy in Schools. 

John is president and founder of Sustainable Design Group and president and CEO of the International Center for Sustainable Development. He is a true visionary and leader of the sustainability movement. John was recognized at the first UN Global Warming Conference in Kyoto Japan in 1997 for constructing the first sustainable community in South Africa. John founded the Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC), which focuses on economic development and job creation in the clean energy sector.

Dr. Woods is a well recognized leader in Prince George's county in Maryland. For the last 30 years he has worked tirelessly to build up communities by supporting their holistic development. Dr. Woods is also the Senior Pastor of Holy Trinity Worship Center International win Washington, DC. He has graduated from Howard University School of Divinity in addition to earning several other degrees. He also served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.

Mr. Feinberg has an architectural degree from the University of Texas. However, he was always much more interested and involved n creating more livable communities. In his decades of trying to figure that out - and learning all the things he did not want to do - he discovered that he was much better at putting people and ideas together. Therefore, as a ‘community instigator and weaver’ his own Benefit LLC, OneFrederickCollaborative, enables a network of seasoned professionals to plug, play, and perform their hard-earned skills in creating better places for people to live and thrive.

Dorienne has been working directly in public and private schools since 2004. She is a certified classroom teacher and also holds a MA in School Counseling. Additionally, she has worked in the field of mental health and job coaching for at-risk populations.  Dorienne is passionate about the environment as well as making sure all people feel heard and supported. The importance of inclusivity for all people is paramount in her structured programming.

Catherine Woods is the founder of the Women's Interdependence Network which focuses on aiding and supporting all women, particularly women of color in Prince George county in MD. Catherine has worked directly for the US Senate and served as an assistant to the Chief of Staff for the Senate Select Committee on POW-MIA Affairs. She has a BA in Theology and an MA of Divinity among her many other accomplishments. 

Heather has worked as a mental health therapist for 29 years. She has a masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Northeastern University in Boston. Heather works with people of all ages and specializes in trauma. She is passionate about creating change in the field of counseling and eliminating the stigma in  mental health. 

Stephanie is the research program director for the Buprenorphine Implementation Research & Community Health project (BIRCH Project) at WVU School of Medicine, an educator for the Maryland Rural Opioid Technical Assistance program (Maryland (ROTA) at University of Maryland, and founder of Appalachian Recovery Concepts, LLC. As an Allegany County native, Stephanie has remained dedicated to the Western Maryland region serving as a socio-behavioral public health researcher, community educator, peer support specialist trainer, and advocate for harm reduction services.

Kelly has been a professional journalist / broadcaster since the early 90's, working for NPR-Member Stations in her home state of North Dakota and later for award winning KJZZ in Phoenix, AZ. She was the only female mid-day news anchor in the Phoenix metro-market.

Kelly has also worked in Learning and Development Departments for several Fortune 500 companies. 

She has her B.A. in Journalism from the University of North Dakota and M.A. Ed from the University of Phoenix.

Jodi has worked in the nursing field since 2010. She has worked in management and has designed educational learning modules for CNA, LPN, and RN. She is a passionate advocate for patients and access to healthcare. She believes in treating chronic diseases and mental health with a dietary approach.

Scott has worked as Critical Care Registered Nurse for over 20 years. He has worked in 43 different hospitals as a travel nurse, including Level 1 Trauma Centers such as West Virginia University Hospital, University of Maryland Medical Center, and Medical University of South Carolina. He has been a charge nurse, preceptor and has worked on Cardiac Council and Magnet Designation Committee. He is passionate about  making access to quality healthcare available for everyone.