Congratulations to our newest board members and associates!
Diana Benitez, Treasurer
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Diana Benitez is a Richmond resident and the senior planner at Canal Alliance, a nonprofit working to break the generational cycle of poverty for Latino immigrants and their families in Marin County. She leads Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro (NCNF), a resident-driven neighborhood vision plan for the Canal neighborhood of San Rafael.
Diana was named a 2025 “Forty Under 40” honoree by the North Bay Business Journal in recognition of her leadership in equity-centered community development. She currently serves on the board of Call Marin Home, on the executive committee of APA California — Northern as Treasurer and is a Planners4Health Coordinator.
Originally from Los Angeles, Diana has called the Bay Area home for over seven years previously living in Berkeley and now rooted in Richmond. She holds a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA and a Bachelor’s in Urban Studies and Planning from CSUN with a minor in Geographic Information Sciences (GIS). Her work is grounded in the belief that those most impacted by injustice should help lead the systems change we need.
Connect with Diana
Hina Grupta, Legislative Director
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Hina Gupta is a partner at Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP, and an attorney specializing in land use, environmental, real estate, and compliance with CEQA and NEPA. She leverages her environmental planning background to guide clients—both public and private—through all stages of project development, from due diligence and permitting to litigation and appeals.
Hina advises on a wide range of land use and environmental matters, including local planning, zoning, and brownfield redevelopment, and has experience with large- and small-scale projects across residential, commercial, industrial, energy, and education sectors. She has served as counsel for government agencies and is experienced with the Brown Act, Public Records Act, public contracting, elections, and employment issues. Her prior experience includes work as an environmental planning consultant.
Hina holds a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, an M.P.L. from USC, and a B.A. in Urban Planning from New Delhi. She is admitted to practice in California, New York, and Massachusetts and is active in several professional organizations and leadership roles.
Connect with Hina
Kate Christopherson, AICP, South Bay Regional Activity Co-Coordinator (Co-RAC)
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Kate Christopherson, AICP, is a transportation planner on the Operations Planning & Scheduling team at the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans). She manages short-term planning projects, in addition to reviewing and reporting out performance metrics and conducting outreach and fieldwork.
Prior to SamTrans, Kate gained experience at Kimley-Horn’s San Jose office and in the Midwest at the Chicago Transit Authority, Madison Metro, and Metro Transit (Minneapolis–Saint Paul). She holds a master’s degree in Urban & Regional Planning from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science & International Studies from the University of Minnesota Duluth.
When she’s not shaping transit solutions, Kate is out discovering scenic biking and hiking trails, cheering passionately for women’s sports, diving into captivating books, and embarking on new adventures with her husband.
Connect with Kate
We want to feature YOU in the next Northern News!
Request for Content
APA California – Northern strives to remain a connected community. We would like to extend a special invitation to members to be featured in the next Northern News “Who’s Where” section, where we are eager to highlight your latest accomplishments and successes.
If you have started a new job, taken on a new role, or opened your agency, we would love to learn about your journey and progress. We are also eager to know more about you, your hobbies, and your interests outside of work such as:
- Other career paths that influence your work
- Professional areas of interest
- AICP certification or other credentials (e.g., LEED, PMP, GISP, etc.)
- Hobbies/Interests outside of your professional work
We always value our members’ backgrounds and achievements, and we would be thrilled to know more about your education and any special projects you’ve worked on in your field. Your contributions are pivotal to our community; we want to hear your unique voice.
- Education
- Interesting projects you have worked on recently
- The most interesting thing about being a planner
Please take a moment to share a little bit about yourself with us by completing our Who’s Where Submittal Form. If you have any issues with this online form, please contact communications@norcal.org. We are excited to get to know you better and look forward to hearing from you soon!”