Chapter Leadership

Fred Lopez has over 22 years of urban and regional planning experience, including transportation planning, comprehensive planning. land use, zoning, and code/ordinance updates. Fred oversees Quantum Consultants' urban planning team and previously served as Comprehensive Plan Manager, Transportation Planning Administrator, and Deputy Director for Capital Improvement Department Planning at the City of El Paso. In 2012, he developed and managed the City of El Paso’s first Transportation Planning Division, which led to new street design policies and procedures focused on improving public health by promoting walking, bicycling, and mass transit. Fred has Advanced Specialty Certification in Transportation Planning from the American Planning Association.

• Board of Directors: 2005 – 2008, 2017 – present
• Leadership Academy Chair: 2022 – present
• Section Directors Representative: 2019 – 2021
• Membership Chair: 2017 – 2019
• West Section Director: 2005 – 2008, 2017 – 2019
• El Paso Conference Local Host Committee Chair: 2021 – 2022
• Quantum Consultants: Vice President / Co-owner
  

Tharani is a Principal Planner for the City of Arlington. She is a Certified Floodplain Manager and has earned a Dual Masters of Social Work and Urban Affairs and Policy from the University of Texas at Arlington as well as an MBA from the University of the Cumberlands.

Veronica is a Senior Community Outreach Manager with Rifeline, a Texas-based public involvement firm specializing in strategic communication and outreach planning for public infrastructure projects across all industries. As a native of San Antonio, she is deeply committed to Texas communities and has a strong history of leadership, previously serving as the National APA Student Representatives Council Chair and a National APA Board Member. Veronica earned her Master's in Urban Planning from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).

Marco Hinojosa was born in Houston, raised in DFW, and currently live in San Antonio. He is currently a senior project associate with MIG, Inc. He has previously served as Secretary for the Southwest Section and the Latinos and Planning Division.

Rolandrea Russell is the Planning Supervisor for the City of Frisco and a dedicated urban planner with a passion for creating vibrant, sustainable, and well-designed urban environments. With a wealth of experience and expertise in the field, she strives to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of cities. Rolandrea holds a Master's Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Alabama A&M University and is a proud graduate of the Texas Women’s Leadership Institute. She has served as the Chapter’s TML Representative since 2021 and has worked as a professional planner in various capacities in the cities of Midland and Allen, Texas.

Jeff Fisher has over 16 years experience in urban planning working for various municipalities across Texas. He is currently serving as the Assistant Planning Director with the City of Georgetown. His experience and interests include writing zoning codes, land use planning, project management, and strategic planning. Jeff has his Masters of Public Administration Degree with a concentration in Urban Planning from the University of Texas at Tyler, and a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning Degree from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Kelly Porter is Assistant Director for City of Fort Worth Transportation and Public Works over the Regional Transportation and Innovation Division. His group is responsible for regional coordination and long-range planning. Before returning home to Fort Worth, Mr. Porter worked for the previous 10 years at the Metropolitan Planning Organizations in Houston and Austin. He is a Certified Planner with over 13 years’ experience with a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Prairie View A&M University. He brings a strong successful track record in regional transportation planning across all modes of transportation, and experience working with external partners and the private sector in developing transportation solutions.

Richard has served as PDO for many years and continues to be a valuable resource to Texas planners aspiring to earn their AICP credential. Richard is the Planning Director for the City of Lewisville.

Abbey brings a background in association management and a passion for community engagement, event planning, and strategic leadership to the APA Texas team. She has worked with organizations across diverse industries, collaborating with Board members, committees, and volunteers to develop impactful programs that serve members and event attendees. Abbey also leverages her marketing experience to maintain a strong online presence and engagement for the organizations she serves.

Abbey, her husband, Bryan, and their three dogs live in Colorado, where she volunteers with the Colorado Society of Association Executives. Outside of work, you can find Abbey outside enjoying the Colorado sunshine.

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Travis Liska is a Program Manager at the North Central Texas Council of Governments, the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Dallas – Fort Worth region. He has over ten years of experience in regional planning at NCTCOG leading their transit-oriented development projects, parking management program, and the Coordinated Land Use and Transportation Planning Task Force. Travis has also worked with numerous North Texas communities on corridor plans, special issue regional studies, and federal infrastructure grant applications. He earned both a bachelor’s in Geography and a master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from Texas A&M University

Kim is an accomplished urban planner and designer with nearly two decades of experience shaping vibrant, implementable plans across both public and private sectors. As the South-Central Region Cities and Urban Design Practice Area Leader with Gensler, Kim brings a strategic, market-aware approach to every project—ensuring that creative vision is grounded in economic and regulatory realities.

Her portfolio spans comprehensive plans, small area and downtown plans, corridor studies, and campus master plans across Texas and beyond. Kim’s work includes private-sector site planning for multi-family and mixed-use developments, as well as community-driven planning for municipalities and higher education institutions. With an emphasis on translating ideas into action, Kim excels at guiding clients from visioning through implementation, aligning stakeholder aspirations with practical outcomes.

Kim is a certified planner (AICP) and currently serves as the Director for the North Central Section of the APA Texas Chapter. Her active involvement in APA allows her to mentor fellow professionals, stay at the forefront of planning practice, and continually evolve her own point of view. She believes that thoughtful planning is both visionary and achievable—rooted in innovation, market realities, and deep community engagement.

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Chelsea is a Principal and Planning Team Lead at TEI Planning + Design based in Houston, with 18 years of experience in urban and transportation planning. She is passionate about advancing safe, accessible, and equitable mobility solutions that strengthen the communities she serves. As Director for the APA Texas Houston Section for 2026–2027, Chelsea is excited to collaborate with planners across the region and support the continued growth and impact of the planning profession throughout the Houston area.

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Lauren Garrott is a planner with extensive experience supporting long-range and comprehensive planning, data analysis, and meaningful community engagement. She holds a Master of Regional and Community Planning and a Bachelor of Regional and Community Planning from Kansas State University. Her work centers on helping communities translate vision into actionable, implementable plans rooted in lived experience and local priorities.

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Dawn Warrick is an urban planner at Freese and Nichols, Inc. Before joining FNI, she worked for more than 23 years as a public-sector planner, including seven years as the City of Tulsa's planning director. She has served in senior planning roles for the Louisville Metro Government in Kentucky and the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas, giving her an understanding of large urban cities, as well as smaller communities. She taught as an adjunct lecturer for the University of Louisville's Master of Urban Planning program for six years. Dawn has served in APA leadership roles for the Arkansas, Kentucky, and Oklahoma chapters including professional development officer and chapter president. She earned a bachelor's in landscape architecture and a master's in geography from the University of Arkansas. She has been a certified planner since 2002.

Staron Faucher is a Transportation Planner and Project Manager at WSP in Dallas, Texas, specializing in thoroughfare planning, bike and pedestrian studies, corridor redevelopment, and land use analyses - but he is most passionate about advocacy planning and equity. Before joining WSP, Staron was a transportation planner at Freese and Nichols, Inc. and the North Central Texas Council of Governments working Sustainable Development Projects. He received his Master in Regional and City Planning from the University of Oklahoma, and Environmental Studies from Baylor University. Staron is also a member of the American Planning Association's Ethics Committee and the Director of the North Central Section of the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association