Upcoming Events
APA Los Angeles Summer Speaker Series- Pride, Identity and Impact in Planning
June 25, 2026 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Virtual
APA Los Angeles virtual panel with LGBTQ+ planners: personal narratives, professional paths, & planning’s role in equity and systems change.
Join APA Los Angeles for our inagural 2026 Summer Speaker Series, entitled “City of Angels: Celebrating the Beauty and Resilience of Los Angeles”. This summer speaker series brings together urban planners across Los Angeles County to celebrate the beauty of LA—found in its people, places, cultures, and climate. Through three monthly gatherings, the series highlights how planning can honor identity, uplift communities, preserve cultural legacy, and prepare the city for a changing future.
We’re thrilled to kick off the series in honor of Pride Month with a virtual panel entitled “Pride, Identity and Impact in Planning”, where a moderated panel will discuss the role of LGBTQ+ planners have in shaping our communities; personal stories, professional journeys, and community impact, and planning as a tool for equity, creativity, and systems change.
To register click here.
Meet our panelists:
Ari Ventura (They/Them) is a queer transmasculine non-binary Transportation Engineer/PFehr & Peers with a specialty in GIS & Data Analytics. They hold a B.S. in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Georgia Tech and a Master of Urban & Regional Planning from UCLA. Beyond the workplace, Ari founded and facilitates a quarterly trans planners of LA meetup for trans planners, students, and community organizers to share their experiences and concerns as they navigate careers and/or advocacy in the greater LA region.
Mark Muenzer (he/him) is the Director of Community & Economic Development for the City of Cathedral City, bringing 25 years of experience leading planning, housing, and economic development initiatives across the country. His work has focused on expanding affordable housing, revitalizing commercial corridors, and guiding major community plans in cities including Chicago, Evanston, Menlo Park, Redwood City, and Culver City. Mark has also served as a lead negotiator on high‑profile development projects with institutions such as Northwestern University, Meta, Stanford, Sony, Amazon, and Apple. He holds a Master of Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati and a B.A. in Political Science from Gannon University.
Thomas O’Brien (he/him) is the Associate Dean in the College of Professional and Continuing Education (CPaCE) at California State University, Long Beach and the Deputy Director of the METRANS Transportation Consortium, a partnership between CSULB and the University of Southern California. He also serves as the director of the California Local Technical Assistance Program (CALTAP). He previously served as Executive Director of the Center for International Trade and Transportation also at CSULB. His teaching and research focus on logistics, supply chain management, and goods movement policy as well as transportation workforce. Dr. O’Brien has a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Development and a Ph.D. in Policy, Planning, and Development from the University of Southern California. He is both an Eno and Eisenhower Transportation Fellow and Vice Chair of the Transportation Research Board’s Intermodal Freight Transport Committee.
Kim Clark (she/her) is a Planning Supervisor in the Resource Conservation & Resilient Communities Department at the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), where she leads regional initiatives focused on climate adaptation, resilience, and resource conservation. Over her 17 years at SCAG, she has served in multiple planning and program management roles, contributing to major efforts such as the Regional Climate Adaptation Framework and the award‑winning Climate Talks Outreach Toolkit. Kim holds a Master’s in Urban Planning from UCLA and a B.A. in Political Science from UC Riverside. Her work centers on advancing equitable, data‑driven strategies that help communities prepare for a changing climate.
James A. Castañeda, AICP (he/him) is a Planning Manager at Somos Group, where he leads complex land use projects and guides a multidisciplinary team in delivering high‑quality, community‑centered planning solutions. With over 15 years of experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, James brings deep expertise in land use analysis, entitlements, community engagement, and strategic advising. He currently serves as President‑Elect of APA California and has held numerous leadership roles within APA at both the state and regional levels. James holds a B.S. in City and Regional Planning from New Mexico State University.
