Alumnus Heba ElGawish from Cohort 2014-2015 will be paneling for the 4^th Makeover Montgomery held by the Montgomery County Planning Department and National Denter for Smart Community Growth alongside Angela Dupont of Policy Research Division at the National Capital Planning Commission, Carolyn Griffin of MetroStage, and Austin Flajser of The Carr Companies. The panel, Placemaking and Public Art will be focusing on creative placemaking as a strategy for economic development. ElGawish’s presentation will describe her experience investing on meaningful community engagement, the development of policies and tools used to advance creative economy, and to define the successful partnerships between public, non-profit, and private sector.

Heba ElGawish is an Urban Planner at the City of Alexandria, VA, Department of Planning and Zoning. With a focus on long-range planning and community development, ElGawish has lead planning and
community engagement effort to develop the Old Town North Small Area Plan. This project included a vision for the redevelopment of a 20-acre decommissioned power plant site and the creation of the Old Town North Arts and Cultural District with regulatory incentives to retain and attract arts and cultural uses.

The 4^th Makeover Montgomery will take place in May 11^th, at the Silver Spring Civil Building in Silver Spring Maryland. For more information, please visit the Makeover Montgomery page and the Panel for Placemaking & Public Art slides.