With each administration change, there are significant shifts at the federal level in terms of priorities and approaches to transportation, land use, and other aspects of smart growth. One thing is clear in our minds: the issues we work on are vital and urgent, we cannot throw up our hands and wait for the government to change. Instead, it is important that Smart Growth America, and all of those who believe in smart growth, find ways to advance our agenda and make progress, regardless of who is in charge. With this in mind, this panel of experts will give their perspectives on smart growth policy, advocacy, and real-world actions to take at three different levels.

Alison Goebel, Executive Director, Greater Ohio Policy Center
Alison Goebel is Executive Director of the Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC). GOPC is a bipartisan, nonpartisan smart growth research and advocacy nonprofit that works statewide.
Goebel has been with GOPC since 2010 and is responsible for charting GOPC’s strategic direction, directing the research, advocacy, and outreach teams, and securing resources for this work.
Goebel is the author of a number of research reports and policy briefs related to the revitalization of weak-market, legacy cities, the stabilization and regrowth of housing markets, transportation funding, and local governance structures in Ohio. Goebel is a graduate and board member of Leadership Ohio, a nonprofit that develops leaders and fosters civic discourse in Ohio. She was appointed to the Smart Growth America board in 2024. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in anthropology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and received her B.A. from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio).

 

 

Sarah Brundage, President and CEO, National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders

Sarah Brundage is the President and CEO of the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders (NAAHL). Sarah served as the Senior Advisor for Housing Supply and Infrastructure in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She also previously served as General Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations at HUD. Sarah led the Department’s efforts to enhance HUD programs that increase the production and supply of housing, including the execution of the Administration’s Housing Supply Action Plan. Sarah played a lead role in the implementation of the Interagency Taskforce on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE) Action Plan. She also served as a senior policy advisor on the White House Domestic Policy Council. Prior to HUD, Sarah was the Senior Policy Director at Enterprise Community Partners, where she co-led the national ACTION Campaign to strengthen and expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. She also led Enterprise’s state and local policy work in California and previously worked at the National Low Income Housing Coalition.Sarah holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Florida and a Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley

 

Mark R. Shepherd, Mayor, City of Clearfield, Utah
Mark Shepherd was born in Salt Lake City and raised in Albuquerque, NM and has lived in Clearfield, Utah for 27 years. He is the Principal Broker and owner of Shepherd Real Estate Group and has been active in real estate for over 20 years. In 2013, he served as the President of the Northern Wasatch Association of Realtors and the Council of Residential Specialists in Utah. Following his eight years of service on the Clearfield City Planning Commission and six years on the City Council, Mark was elected as Mayor in 2013 and is presently serving in his 3rd term. He has played a key role in Clearfield’s revitalization. Mayor Shepherd is a past Chair of the Finance, Administration, and Intergovernmental Relations committee for the National League of Cities and currently serves on its board of directors. Mayor Shepherd is one of the co-Chairs ‘Mayors and CEOs for Housing Investment’ and was recently appointed to serve alongside DC Mayor Muriel Bowser as co-Chairs of the National League of Cities’ new advisory group to Ignite America’s Housing Comeback. He also sits on the board of Directors for the Utah League of Cities and is involved with various local and regional boards, including the Wasatch Front Regional Council, the Utah Defense Alliance and the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA). Mark has been married to Tammie for 35 years, and they have seven children and twelve grandchildren, with two more on the way.

 

Terrence Heubert, Partner, Summit Strategies

Terry brings 24 years of political and policy expertise to the Summit Strategies team. He prides himself in working in a bipartisan manner to best advocate for his clients. Terry has focused his practice on transportation, infrastructure, and municipal clients. Terry will bring his Pennsylvania roots to Summit where he will continue to represent the City of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh International Airport, and the Port Authority of Allegheny County, among others. Terry started his career working for former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge and eventually lead the Pennsylvania Governor’s Washington D.C. Office under Governor Mark Schweiker. In that capacity, Terry was the chief Washington D.C. representative for the Commonwealth and its various agencies, including PennDOT and the Pennsylvania National Guard. Terry was also a member of the Bush-Cheney Transition Team. A Pittsburgh transplant, Terry currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife Katherine and son Lukus. Terry is the College of Wooster 1998 class president and is a PTA executive board member and advocate for his son’s dual language elementary school. Terry looks forward to resuming international travel and enjoys skiing, photography, and looking after his geriatric rescue dog, Silas