Joel Mills is Senior Director of the Architect Foundation’s Communities by Design program. The program has catalyzed billions of dollars in sustainable development across the United States, helping to create some of the most vibrant places in America today. Joel’s 29-year career has been focused on strengthening civic capacity, public processes, and civic institutions. This work has helped millions of people participate in democratic processes, visioning efforts, and community planning initiatives. He has delivered presentations, training content, workshops, and public processes in over a dozen countries across 5 continents. 

In the United States, Joel has provided consultative services to hundreds of communities, leading participatory processes on the ground in over 100 communities across 38 states. His work has been featured in over 1,000 media stories. Joel has served on dozens of expert working groups, boards, juries, and panels focused on civic discourse and participation, sustainability, and democracy. He was a founding Board Member of the International Association for Public Participation’s United States Chapter. He has spoken at numerous international conferences concerning democratic urbanism and the role of democracy in urban success, including serving as the Co-Convener of the Remaking Cities Congress in 2013. Joel is an Academician of the Academy of Urbanism in London, UK. He is the author of numerous articles on the relationship between democracy, civic capacity and community.

Amber Egofske is an associate and architect at Alliiance, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  She focuses her work in the public studio where she thrives in multidisciplinary teams to create innovative and collaborative design solutions. Recent projects include Park visitor centers, a public service center, and interior renovation projects on buildings with historic character.  As an MDT volunteer, her enthusiasm lies in uncovering place-based discoveries that highlight the unique qualities of each community. Amber is also one of the current co-chairs of the Minnesota Design Team. 

Richard Baker is a seasoned leader in economic and community development with over two decades of experience revitalizing organizations, managing strategic initiatives, and fostering public-private partnerships across the Midwest. He has served in key roles for cities, chambers of commerce, and economic development organizations, driving projects in housing, broadband, tourism, and business incubation. With a BA in Public Relations and certifications in Nonprofit Management and Economic Development, Richard blends creative problem-solving with data-driven planning to enhance local economies and community well-being. His collaborative approach and proven track record make him a trusted catalyst for sustainable growth and civic engagement.  Richard is one of the current co-chairs of the Minnesota Design Team. 

DeeDee LeMier is an Extension Educator specializing in Community Economics, agritourism, and sustainable tourism development in rural areas. DeeDee leverages mobile data and cross-sector partnerships to develop resources and workshops that serve the unique needs of highly seasonal tourism economies. Her work not only contributes to the economic vitality of small communities but also strengthens the bonds among residents and celebrates the distinctive local culture. She is currently serving as a co-chair elect for the Minnesota Design Team. DeeDee holds a Master of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from Hamline University.  Outside work, you will find her exploring the outdoors with her family, relaxing by the lake, or playing whist with anyone willing to learn the game.  

Gary Gaston is the CEO of the Nashville Civic Design Center, and serves as Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Architecture + Design. He received his Bachelor of Architecture from UTK, and a M.Ed. in Community Development and Action from Vanderbilt. Gaston helped lead numerous planning and design efforts for the Civic Design Center during his nearly 20-year tenure, including its visionary The Plan of Nashville: Avenues to a Great City, published in 2005. Gaston served as executive producer of the National Endowment for the Arts funded documentary film Design Your Neighborhood, and co-authored two books, Moving Tennessee Forward: Models for Connecting Communities (2012), and Shaping the Healthy Community: The Nashville Plan, published by Vanderbilt University Press in 2016.  Gaston is a TEDx Nashville Fellow, his talk on “Improving Public Health Through Community Design” can be viewed here. He was named 2022 “Leader of the Year” by the Young Leaders Council. He received the Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society Silver Medal “for extraordinary efforts to advance the field of design in the region” in 2016, and was recognized as a “Next American Vanguard” by Next City Magazine in 2010. Gaston is a native of West Tennessee where serves as the beekeeper for his family farm. He is passionate about preservation and enhancement of public spaces and expanding opportunities for youth through design-based education in public schools. Gaston serves on the Board of Directors of The District and is a member of the Rotary Club of Nashville. 

Wayne Feiden is Director of the Center for Resilient Metro-Regions and Lecturer of Practice at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he focuses on assisting communities in placemaking, resilience, downtown revitalization, housing, economic development, transportation, open space preservation, regulatory streamlining, and community engagement. Previously he was Director of Planning and Sustainability for Northampton. He led that city to earn a LEED for Cities GOLD rating and the nation’s first Five-STAR Communities rating for sustainability.

Wayne's publications include five American Planning Association PAS reports: Strategic Planning, Planning Management, Assessing Sustainability, Planning for On-Site and Decentralized Wastewater Treatment, and Performance Guarantees, as well as other peer-reviewed and research papers. Wayne’s Eisenhower Fellowship to Hungary, Fulbright specialists to South Africa and to New Zealand, German Marshall Fund Fellowship to Europe (2015), State Department Fellowship Exchanges to Indonesia and Malaysia, and Bellagio Residency in Italy all focused on planning and resilience. 

Wayne has a BS in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan and a Master of City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina.