Currently a Principal Planner in HNTB’s Chicago office, Diane has professional experience in urban planning, urban design, and architecture, including consulting for municipal and public agency clients, non-profit real estate development, and architectural design focused on transit and public facilities. Her planning consulting work over the last 20+ years has addressed a wide range of project types, including: land use and transportation planning; transit-oriented development (TOD); transportation analysis and funding support; corridor, downtown and neighborhood planning; comprehensive and regional planning; site planning and review; economic development planning; and design guidelines and development standards. In recent years, Diane has worked with transportation agency and MPO clients in Illinois, Florida, Minnesota, Texas, Georgia, and Louisiana.

Diane’s experience covers the spectrum from strategic and policy planning to detailed design solutions with an emphasis on consensus-based and contextually sensitive infrastructure and land use planning for developed areas. Her work with various constituencies and communities has fostered an ability to view planning issues from multiple perspectives, work across disciplines to increase common understanding, and develop visionary yet implementable planning solutions. Since early in her career, Diane has understood the critical importance of transit to quality of life and economic development for neighborhoods, cities, regions, and states.

Diane earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and Bachelor of Architecture from Rice University in Houston, and practiced architecture in Houston, San Francisco and Chicago before returning to graduate school to pursue an interest in larger scale site planning and working more directly with impacted communities. While earning her Master of Urban Planning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, her work-study involved support to the University’s East Saint Louis Action Research Project, a HUD-funded outreach and planning program that provided direct assistance to community groups in East Saint Louis.

In addition to her certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners, she has earned the respected designations of Envision Sustainability Professional and LEED Accredited Professional. She also maintains her status as a licensed architect in the State of Illinois. She is active in the Chicago-Ely Chapter of Lambda Alpha International, serves on the Pro-Bono Committee of the APA Chicago Metro Section, and is a former co-chair of the Regional and Urban Design Knowledge Community of AIA Chicago. She currently serves on the Planning and Zoning Commission in suburban Indian Head Park, and chaired the LaGrange 2020 Strategic Plan Task Force in 2013 while a resident of LaGrange.