Congratulations to our newest board members and associates!
Aleida Andrino-Chavez, AICP, Diversity Co-director
she/her
Aleida Andrino-Chavez, AICP, is a transportation planner with over two decades of experience and a strong commitment to delivering projects that make a positive and lasting difference in the communities she serves. Throughout her career, Andrino-Chavez has focused on responding directly to community needs and advancing innovative, equitable transportation projects and programs. She feels that one of the most rewarding elements of working as a planner is engaging with local communities to assess their needs and formulate effective solutions.
Andrino-Chavez’s experience includes transit, active transportation, regional transportation project development and implementation, grant writing, and project management. At the West Contra Costa Transit Authority, she led the development of the Lynx, a Hercules–San Francisco express bus service, which tackled the increasing casual carpool demand in the City of Hercules, and the C3 Contra Costa Shuttle, which provides low-income youth in the Town of Rodeo with direct access to higher education opportunities.
In her role as transportation planner for nearly 12 years with the City of Albany, Andrino-Chavez played a key role in planning and implementing prioritized bicycle and pedestrian projects, led the development of the City’s first Active Transportation Plan, and established the City’s Safe Routes to School Program.
At Alameda CTC, she has worked on major corridor planning efforts, including the East 14th/Mission and Fremont Boulevard Project; led the development of the Alameda County Vehicle Miles Traveled Reduction Calculator Tool; worked on the 2019 Countywide Active Transportation Plan; and is currently the Deputy Project Manager for the Plan’s 2026 update.
Outside of work, Aleida enjoys hiking, biking, baking, and spending time with her family and three dogs.
Connect with Aleida.
Olivia Mendoza, Events Program Co-manager
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Olivia Mendoza serves as Northern’s Events Program Co-manager. She is a project manager at Rincon Consultants specializing in climate adaptation, resilience, and action. Her work focuses on assessing risks and opportunities related to climate hazards to inform policy and planning decisions. Drawing on her prior transportation experience, she also contributes to mobility and greenhouse gas reduction initiatives.
Mendoza began her APA involvement in 2019 as a university liaison, where she helped establish an APA chapter at the Claremont Colleges. In 2022, she became the Young and Emerging Planners (YEP) Director for the Los Angeles region. In 2023, she moved to the Bay Area and took on the role of YEP Co-Director for Northern. She is now excited to step into the Events Program Co-manager role.
Olivia holds a BA in Geology and Environmental Analysis from Pitzer College.
Connect with Olivia.
Gabriella Han, UC Berkeley Student Representative
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Gabriella Han is a dedicated Master of City Planning candidate at UC Berkeley, specializing in transportation planning. Her academic and professional interests center on complete streets initiatives and advancing equity in active transportation, particularly through the thoughtful design of pedestrian and micro-mobility infrastructure. Han brings a multidisciplinary background to her studies, having previously earned degrees in computer science and environmental studies. Prior to graduate school, she spent five years as a software engineer at a startup based in Oakland, where she honed her technical and problem-solving skills.
Han’s recent projects include redesigning Vallejo’s waterfront as part of an urban design studio and conducting research on the long-term land-use impacts of congestion pricing in New York City. She is particularly fascinated by how spatial challenges influence daily life and societal outcomes—a perspective that continually informs her approach to planning.
Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, Gabriella enjoys cooking, playing tennis, rock climbing, reading, dancing with friends, and exploring local food scenes—especially searching for the best fried chicken sandwich in any city she visits.
Connect with Gabriella.
Chang Xu, AICP, Young and Emerging Planners Co-director
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Chang Xu serves as an urban planner at HDR’s San Francisco/Berkeley office, where he works on community design, campus planning, transit planning, and regional planning projects locally and internationally. His work is supported by expertise in geospatial analysis and visualization tools.
Xu, who benefited from strong mentorship early in his career, is dedicated to supporting emerging professionals through Northern’s Young and Emerging Planners (YEP) Group. As an active alumnus, he maintains involvement with UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design, participating in studio reviews and advising students on their theses. Additionally, he volunteers with ULI San Francisco’s UrbanPlan program.
He holds a Master of Urban Design from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Science in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His graduate thesis, “From Gray to Public: Gateway 2.0,” received the CNU Student Charter Award in 2019.
Xu finds that one of the most compelling aspects of urban planning is uncovering the historical context behind cities, which provides valuable insights into what makes great cities truly exceptional.
Notable recent projects include the SLAC Campus Long Range Vision Plan—developed in close collaboration with stakeholders to outline the campus’s vision for the next two decades—and the Cascadia Innovation Corridor Housing Study, which involved analyzing potential housing capacity on underutilized commercial parcels within the region.
Outside of his professional commitments, Chang enjoys playing tennis after work and camping and scuba diving on weekends. He is also an avid viewer of the Outdoor Boys YouTube channel and considers Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings his favorite film series.
Connect with Chang.
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 [email protected]. We are excited to get to know you better and look forward to hearing from you soon!”