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A publication of the American Planning Association, California Chapter, Northern Section

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Northern Section Holiday Party kicks off the Season

By Libby Tyler, FAICP

The Northern Section Holiday Party kicked off the holiday season in festive style. More than 100 planners and friends attended the November 22nd event held at La Peña Cultural Center, a longtime Berkeley institution that promotes social justice, arts participation, and intercultural understanding.

The venue, La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley

Attendees enjoyed the Mexican food and drinks offered by the on-site restaurant Los Cilantros, and listened to the mesmerizing vocals, drums, and classical guitar of the Wasska Project. The highlight of the evening was an extensive and enticing array of raffle prizes donated by the event sponsors and by the California Planning Foundation (CPF) and presented in great showman fashion by Juan Borrelli, AICP. The raffle raised funds to support the CPF’s diversity scholarship program.

Many thanks to our sponsors for the evening: M-Group, Placeworks, MIG, Raimi + Associates, and Libby Tyler at the Platinum level; Dyett & Bhatia and AECOM at the Gold level; and AKRF and Rincon Consultants at the Silver level. Thanks also to the Holiday Party Planning Committee members, Della Acosta, AICP; Tom Holub, and Libby Tyler, FAICP, as well as Sarah Allen, AICP; Terry Blount, AICP; Michael Cass, James Castañeda, AICP; James Hinkamp, AICP; Greg Holisko, AICP; Matt Kawashima, and Jonathan Schuppert, AICP, for their additional support. Event volunteers included Abigail Brown, Izanie Love, Laurel Mathews, Marta Polovin, Brianne Reyes, and Leslie Trejo.

Thank you also to all who joined in the Holiday Party, and to all those who supported the California Planning Foundation. It is never too late to donate to CPF — just click here.

Happy Holidays, and check out all of these Tom Holub photos from our fabulous party!

Looks like Abigail Brown won a vase!
Claudia Garcia of Ascent Environmental chats with James Hinkamp, AICP, of Contra Costa Transportation Authority, and a member of the Holiday Party Planning Committee.
Mariela Herrera and Javier Trujillo of Wasska Project
Current, future, and former Northern Section Directors: Hanson Hom, AICP; Andrea Ouse, AICP; Darcy Kremin, AICP; Mark Rhoades, AICP; Wendy Cosin; Hing Wong, AICP; Jonathan Schuppert, AICP; James Castañeda, AICP; Sharon Grewal, AICP; and Juan Borrelli, AICP.
Nancy Finkle.
George Foster, USC planning student.
SJSU Masters of Urban Planning alums. Back row: Avalon Schultz, AICP; Carmela Campbell, AICP; Emma Reed, AICP; Hing Wong, AICP; Mark Young; Hanson Hom, AICP. Seated: Veronica Flores, Mariaclara Zazzaro.
Libby Tyler, FAICP
Darcy Kremin, AICP, wins, with Hing Wong, AICP, and Juan Borrelli, AICP.
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