Connect with APA New Mexico
APA NM Chapter President joni m palmer, Ph.D.
joni m. palmer, Ph.D., serves as the President of the American Planning Association New Mexico Chapter and is the founding principal of Minerva Studio, LLC. With more than 35 years of experience spanning professional planning practice and academia, she has worked with municipal, state, and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and consulting firms across the United States. Her expertise includes urban planning, landscape architecture, community engagement, environmental planning, and cultural landscapes.
Joni's passion for planning began during her freshman year at Cornell University after attending an introductory meeting for the University's newly established undergraduate program in City and Regional Planning. Inspired by the opportunity to shape communities through thoughtful planning and design, she became part of the first graduating class of Cornell's Bachelor of Science program in City and Regional Planning a decision that established the foundation for her lifelong career in planning. She earned a Bachelor of Science in City and Regional Planning with Design and Environmental Analysis from Cornell University, a Master of Landscape Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and a Ph.D. in Human Geography from the University of Colorado Boulder, where her research focused on urban geography, cultural geography, feminist geography, and geovisualization. Throughout her career, Joni has remained actively involved in community leadership and professional service. She has served on numerous boards and advisory committees, including the UNM Center for Regional Studies Advisory Board, The Living New Deal Research Board, the New Mexico Resiliency Alliance, and the Albuquerque Museum Board of Trustees. She credits these experiences with helping her better understand New Mexico's unique communities, landscapes, and planning challenges. Her involvement with APA New Mexico began as an ad hoc board member before serving as Professional Development Officer and eventually being elected Chapter President. Now serving her second term as President, Joni values the opportunity to work alongside a dedicated board committed to strengthening the planning profession throughout New Mexico. She is especially grateful to former chapter presidents whose mentorship and guidance have helped shape her leadership and the continued success of the Chapter's programs and initiatives.
APA NM Chapter Vice President Katrina Arndt, AICP
Katrina Arndt, AICP, is the Vice President of the APA NM Chapter, and is a Planning Lead and Client Focus Leader at Dekker with more than a decade of planning and urban design experience across the Southwest.
Before becoming a planner, Katrina worked as a community organizer supporting nonprofit organizations and as a graphic designer and art director in both the United States and China, experiences that continue to shape her collaborative approach, visual communication skills, and commitment to community-centered planning. Katrina has been with Dekker for more than six years and spent over four years at another landscape architecture firm, where she built the planning practice from the ground up, developed a successful portfolio of planning and outdoor recreation projects, and helped drive strategic growth through business development. Today, she focuses on business development, cultivating client relationships, expanding strategic partnerships, and leading multidisciplinary planning initiatives across the region. Katrina specializes in long-range planning, community engagement, campus and institutional planning, parks and recreation planning, downtown revitalization, and implementation strategies. She is known for bringing together diverse stakeholders, translating complex technical information into actionable solutions, and building consensus around a shared vision. In addition to her professional work, Katrina is deeply involved in advancing the planning profession. She serves as Board Chair of ULI New Mexico, is a Board Member of the American Planning Association (APA) New Mexico Chapter, and is a founding Board Member of the Rio Grande Trail Association. Raised in Germany and having worked professionally in China before relocating to the United States, she brings an international perspective to her work, combining global experience with a deep understanding of communities throughout the Southwest.
APA NM Board Secretary Margaret Ambrosino, AICP
Margaret Ambrosino, AICP, is the APA NM Board Secretary, and is a professional planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners and holds a Project Management Professional certification via the global Project Management Institute.
She has been practicing planning for 18 years, having managed affordable housing and mixed-use development projects, and has also worked in the domain of hazard mitigation and disaster recovery planning, both in government and private sectors. After working in West Africa for over two years in a major metropolitan area and observing built environment and infrastructure issues, she was called to study community planning further as a profession. In her free time, she enjoys running, dance, crafts, and hanging out with her two girls.
APA NM Board Professional Development Officer Jessica Lawlis, AICP
Jessica Lawlis, AICP, is the APA NM Professional Development Officer (PDO), and is a Principal and Planner at Dekker, a multidisciplinary design firm, where she leads planning and community development initiatives that help create resilient, livable, and economically vibrant communities.
Her experience spans comprehensive plans, campus and district master plans, redevelopment strategies, zoning and development codes, and implementation frameworks. Prior to joining Dekker, Jessica served as a planner for the City of Albuquerque, where she contributed to the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Comprehensive Plan and the award-winning Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO), gaining valuable experience in land use policy, development review, and public decision-making. Jessica is passionate about bringing together diverse perspectives to solve complex planning challenges through meaningful public engagement, data-informed decision-making, and practical implementation strategies. She has served on the APA New Mexico Board as both an At-Large Board Member and currently as Professional Development Officer, where she works to expand educational opportunities and support the growth of the planning profession across New Mexico. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring New Mexico with her children through hiking, biking, kayaking, and camping, experiences that continue to inspire her commitment to creating great places for future generations.
APA NM Board Treasurer Rachel Hertzman Moore
Rachel Hertzman Moore serves as the Treasurer of the American Planning Association New Mexico Chapter and has been an active member of the Chapter Board since 2018. With about 10 years of experience in school facilities planning and a strong background in water resources and community planning, she is committed to advancing the planning profession, promoting professional development, and strengthening partnerships throughout New Mexico.
Her passion for planning was inspired by witnessing the remarkable creativity and resilience of communities around the world, particularly during her travels to Cairo, where she observed both formal and informal systems of design, organization, and community building. These experiences deepened her appreciation for the many ways people create thriving communities and continue to influence her work as a planner in New Mexico. Rachel since 2018 has held several leadership roles including Secretary, Tribal Liaison, and currently Treasurer. As Conference Chair, she successfully led the organization of the 2022 APA New Mexico Annual Conference at the Berna Facio Professional Development Center in Albuquerque and the 2024 Annual Conference at the University of New Mexico. Working closely with the Tribal Planning Roundtable, she has helped elevate Tribal planning issues within the Chapter and played a key role in introducing the APA New Mexico bylaws amendment that formally established the Tribal Liaison position on the Board. Rachel is motivated by the opportunity to serve fellow planners across New Mexico by strengthening professional development opportunities and promoting excellence within the planning profession. She believes New Mexico's planners possess tremendous talent and potential and is committed to helping increase professional certifications and credentials across the state while supporting a strong and collaborative planning community. Outside of her professional work, Rachel enjoys hiking with her husband and volunteering as a New Mexico foster child court advocate, continuing her lifelong commitment to serving others.
APA New Mexico Past President John M. Valdez, AICP
John M. Valdez, AICP, serves as the Immediate Past President of the American Planning Association New Mexico Chapter. A Planning Manager with the New Mexico Public School Facilities Authority, John brings extensive experience in demographic and socioeconomic analysis, capital improvements planning, land use, long-range planning, and community development. Throughout his career, he has worked in local government, private consulting, and state government, contributing to planning projects that have strengthened communities across New Mexico and the western United States.
John's interest in planning began during childhood when a sixth-grade classroom project introduced him to city maps and urban design. Encouraged to build a model city using milk cartons, he discovered a fascination with how communities are planned and organized. That early interest continued through college and graduate school, where he pursued studies in Public Administration and Community and Regional Planning at the University of New Mexico. While completing graduate school, he interned with the City of Albuquerque Transit Department, an experience that further strengthened his commitment to planning and public service. Over the years, his professional interests have expanded to include facility planning, land use, downtown redevelopment, and community planning. John has been actively involved with the American Planning Association New Mexico Chapter for more than fifteen years. Beginning as a Student Representative during graduate school, he has served the Chapter in numerous leadership roles, including conference volunteer, At-Large Board Member, Secretary, Chapter President, and now Immediate Past President. His service has provided opportunities to build lasting professional relationships with planners across New Mexico and throughout the country while helping strengthen networking, collaboration, and professional development opportunities for planning professionals statewide. In addition to his Chapter leadership, John serves on the Editorial Review Board for Western Planner and on the Board of the Public Schools and Communities Division of the American Planning Association, reflecting his continued dedication to advancing planning knowledge, education, and professional practice.
Western Planner Liaison Daniel Pava, FAICP
Daniel Pava, FAICP, serves as the Western Planner Liaison for APA NM, and is an environmental planner and a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners.
He retired from Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico in 2020 after serving 30 years. Dan also worked for cities and counties preparing comprehensive and general plans. He served on the Sustainable Santa Fe Commission and on the city’s planning commission. Pava is on the board and was president of Western Planner, and a three time former president of the APA New Mexico chapter. He holds masters degrees in community and regional planning, and public administration from the University of New Mexico. Currently, he also serves on the Santa Fe County Planning Commission and the Capital Improvements Advisory Committee. Pava and his very patient wife Carol, live in Santa Fe, along with their Husky rescue, Holly.
At-large1: APA NM Tribal Liaison Paul Sittig, AICP
Paul Sittig, AICP, is the APA NM Tribal Liaison and a member-at-large on the APA NM Board, and supports the current and past state conferences.
He is a land use and transportation planner, living in Rio Rancho and working statewide. He is currently a Senior Planner II at Consensus Planning, where he has been since 2024. Before working in the private sector, Paul was the transportation planner at North Central New Mexico Economic Development District, the Council of Governments supporting the Tribal and local governments in eight northern counties in New Mexico. His first work in New Mexico was as a transportation planner and supervisor at NMDOT, where he lead and supported regional projects and statewide planning efforts.
At-large 2: APA NM Board Merideth Hildreth, M.A., AICP
Planning & Zoning Administrator, Community Development Department, City of Roswell
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