The Importance of Public Participation Fireside Chat

Public participation and its many forms (think: community & stakeholder engagement, focus groups, market research…you get the idea) are cornerstones of building processes, systems, & services that reflect what people want and need.  But oftentimes conducting inclusive & equitable public participation is a constantly moving goal, one that presents additional challenges on the other end of that goal.  

Join civic and urban professionals who are doing the work, in conversation about the current state of public participation & how we can move towards more inclusive & equitable feedback loops with our communities. Hear about their obstacles, how they’ve overcome them, and best practices they believe can make public participation more inclusive & equitable.  This conversation will kick off with a virtual networking session, so you can connect with leaders & peers across the country

We invite you to RSVP here and join the co:census community on Wednesday, March 8th. 

During this event, we’ll also hold space for International Women’s Day. 

Lauren Drago, AICP, is the associate planning director for the City of Lynn. Previously, she worked on the economic development teams at the City of Somerville and the City of Cambridge. She holds an M.A. from the Tufts Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning program and a B.A. from Williams College. She originally hails from New Hampshire.

Alicia Leite has been with the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) for 9 years.She was promoted to Supervising Transportation Planner in a new unit within that Bureau of Public Transportation focused on the Customer Experience. Projects for the team include fare integration and creating the first Statewide Customer Experience Action Plan. Prior to this role she served as the Assistant to the Public Transportation Bureau Chief and spent 2 years in the Commissioner’s Office as the Department’s Legislative Liaison. She spent her first 5 years at CTDOT as a Transportation Planner helping to launch Connecticut’s First Bus Rapid Transit System, CTfastrak. Before starting state service in 2013, she worked at Prime Engineering as a Bridge Inspection Project Coordinator.

Alicia is a graduate of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Emerging Leaders Program class of 2018 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Western Connecticut State University and a master’s in Public Administration from the University of New Haven. Alicia was also selected for Mass Transit Magazine’s 40 under 40, class of 2022. The program recognizes individuals for their industry contributions and who have shown a capacity for innovation, demonstrated leadership and a commitment to making an impact in transit.