About Us
Meet Our Team
Administration
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Jenny Raitt is Executive Director of the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments. In this role, she directs the agency’s work in policy and service areas that span the various disciplines under NMCOG’s purview. She also leads the Council’s engagement with elected and appointed officials at the federal, state, and local levels. Prior to joining NMCOG in 2022, Jenny served as Director of Planning and Community Development for the Town of Arlington. Jenny has held several key leadership positions throughout her nearly 30 year career serving local and regional organizations in housing, community development, and urban planning. She also served as an adjunct professor with Boston University’s Graduate Program in City Planning and Urban Affairs from 2008 to 2016. Jenny represents NMCOG on the Lowell Development & Financial Corporation. She also serves as chair of the American Planning Association Legislative and Policy Steering Committee, and as a Board Member for B’nai B’rith Housing.
She received a Master’s in Nonprofit Management and Urban Policy at The New School’s Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment and a Bachelor’s in Urban and Documentary Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
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Kelly is the Deputy Director and joined NMCOG in May 2023. In this role, Kelly supports the Executive Director in oversight of the organization, specifically in contract administration and management, public affairs and communications, and oversight of planning activities and programs. She also manages NMCOG’s transportation program, and participates in management of local and regional planning efforts in housing, economic development, climate and resiliency, transportation, land use, and GIS.
Kelly brings to NMCOG a career of interwoven planning and communications experience. Most recently, she served as Assistant Director of the Department of Planning and Community Development for the Town of Arlington, where she coordinated the implementation of the Town’s master plan, oversaw land use and housing policy development, and managed the Department’s community affairs. She also worked in placemaking and the public realm for the Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation and as an urban planner and project manager for two private-sector firms, Utile and NBBJ, where she worked on neighborhood and comprehensive plans for communities across the eastern US.
Kelly received her Master’s in Urban Planning at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and received her B.A. in Sociology at Tufts University. In 2022, she received a certificate in Local Government Leadership and Management from Massachusetts Municipal Association and Suffolk University. Prior to completing her undergraduate degree, she had a 10-year career in marketing, advertising, and graphic design. Kelly is a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
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Donna is NMCOG’s Executive Assistant and joined NMCOG in September 2024. In her role, Donna supports the Executive Director, providing general administrative support to the Council, Executive Director, and staff. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, reception, contract administration, database management, file maintenance, and meeting planning.
Donna brings to NMCOG a career in Human Resources. Most recently, she was the Assistant Director of Equal Opportunity and Outreach and the Deputy Coordinator for ADA (American Disability Act) at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Donna is a seasoned Investigator of Title IX and Title VII allegations. She is also a certified Mediator and Paralegal.
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Sara is the Finance and Benefits Manager and joined NMCOG in March 2023. Her responsibilities include all accounting and financial reporting and any activity related to the Council’s financial operations. Oversight of accounts payable and receivable, budget preparation, payroll, and maintaining records of revenues and expenditures, preparation of warrants, analysis of cash flow and projections, tax filings, audit preparation, account reconciliations, and assisting staff with grant contract management activities, including invoicing. She manages the Council’s cost allocation plan and maintains appropriate cost allocation controls. Sara also assists with all administrative and financial tasks for onboarding new employees and aids with benefits for existing employees and retirees.
Sara brings more than 20 years of financial experience to NMCOG. She previously worked as a Controller in the pulp and paper industry at a plant in Fitchburg and as the Town Treasurer/Collector for the Town of Ashburnham.
Sara is a full-time student pursuing her Bachelor’s in Accounting Concentration, Business Administration. After that she will continue on to earn her MBA in Accounting, and then sit for the CPA exam. Sara’s goal is to obtain her Public Accountancy License from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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Blake is a Regional Transit Planner II at NMCOG, having joined in August 2023. At the agency, Blake's primary responsibility is to support the Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA). This includes maintaining transit system data, ensuring compliance with federal and state requirements such as Title VI, Federal Transit Administration, Americans with Disabilities Act, and National Transit Database. reporting. He also conducts analyses of ridership trends and operations and serves as a liaison with municipalities, regional partners, and advocacy organizations.
Before joining NMCOG, Blake was a transit analyst at the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization. There, he led projects on curb management and assisted the MBTA with updating their Title VI policy and conducting equity analyses.
Blake holds a Bachelor’s in geography from the University of Missouri, earned in 2018, where he specialized in GIS, planning, and transportation. He later completed his Master’s in transportation geography in 2020 at The Ohio State University. During this period, he researched and published on the impact of bus rapid transit on property values.
Planning and Technical Staff
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Carlin is the GIS and Data Program Manager and joined NMCOG in October 2012. He is responsible for the development of local and regional Geographic Information System and data resources. Carlin provides GIS mapping and analysis and data services for the agency’s varied planning initiatives and plans, as well as numerous other initiatives throughout the Northern Middlesex region and along the Route 3 corridor.
Prior to joining NMCOG, Carlin served as the GIS Coordinator for the New York City Office of Emergency Management where he coordinated GIS requests from multiple city, state, and federal agencies, led GIS teams for emergency response, and oversaw hurricane surge modeling efforts for evacuation zone planning.
Carlin received a Bachelor’s in Sociology and Anthropology with a Concentration in Environmental Studies at Swarthmore College and GIS Certification from the University of California Riverside Extension. Carlin is a Certified GIS Professional with the GIS Certification Institute.
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Michael is the Senior Planner for Housing and Land Use and joined NMCOG in April 2023. In this role he provides planning and technical assistance to advance local and regional housing initiatives for the Northern Middlesex Council of Government communities. This work includes working with communities in the development of municipal housing plans, zoning analysis, master planning, regulation and handbook drafting, and other related functions to support vibrant, equitable, and sustainable housing and land use planning.
Michael brings more than 15 years of planning experience to this role. Most recently with the City of Dover, NH after spending eight years working in Rhode Island as the Assistant Town Planner in Portsmouth and Town Planner in Johnston. During this time Michael developed his career in the planning field by working closely with planning boards, zoning boards of appeals, and numerous municipal boards and committees facilitating and implementing various policies aimed at strengthening the communities’ visions and viability while modernizing engagement tools and processes. He also drafted land use regulations, policy, and comprehensive plans; provided technical support to Zoning, Planning and Design Review Boards; enforced code violations; developed grant proposals; reviewed development applications; developed department protocols; managed and maintained GIS databases; and integrated technologies to better serve the public.
Michael received his Bachelor’s in Environmental Design and Urban Policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s School of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning. Michael is a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
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Christian is the Regional Housing Coordinator at NMCOG, joining the team in March 2025. In this role, he supports NMCOG’s member municipalities with developing and implementing their housing production plans, maintaining and monitoring their subsidized housing inventory, and providing guidance and support to local affordable housing partners, developers, service providers, and residents.
Christian brings extensive experience in affordable housing, having implemented and operated federal and local housing programs. Prior to joining NMCOG, he worked as a national consultant providing technical assistance, regulatory expertise, and operations management support for Public Housing Authorities. He has also worked for the San Diego Housing Commission, advancing their Homelessness Action Plan and administering innovative rental subsidy programs, and as a Project Manager for the State of Rhode Island focusing on housing stability initiatives.
He is currently a full-time student pursuing his Master’s in Urban Planning and Policy at Northeastern University and received his Bachelor’s from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.
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Isabel is the Regional Land Use Planner II and joined NMCOG in June 2023. She primarily works on projects such as the Regional Digital Equity Plan and other land use and economic development projects. She is passionate about finding solutions to address any and all challenges related to planning and community development.
Prior to working at NMCOG, she worked at the Borough of State College in Pennsylvania, where she gained extensive experience in addressing local planning-related issues and zoning enforcement during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the areas of rent and small business loan assistance, zoning for signage, and short-term rental licensing enforcement.
She received a Master’s in City and Regional Planning at Ohio State University and a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a Concentration in American Music from Carleton College. She lives with her husband in Lowell. Isabel is a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
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Meghan is a Principal Planner — Sustainability at NMCOG, joining the team in January 2024. Using a climate justice lens, Meghan supports NMCOG's communities in sustainability planning through climate mitigation and adaptation projects and programs, hazard mitigation, community engagement and education, capacity building, water resource management, and grant writing.
Before joining NMCOG, she was a Climate Resilience Planner and Project Manager for Launch Consulting out of Charlottesville, Virginia, where she supported counties, cities, and utilities in preparing emergency response plans, hazard mitigation, climate action/adaptation plans, and led equity-focused community engagement and education projects.
She holds a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and Environmental Studies from the University of Washington and an Master’s in Urban & Environmental Policy & Planning from Tufts University. Her award-winning 2021 Master's Thesis explored the gendered differentials of climate action plans. Meghan is a member of the American Planning Association (APA), the American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP), and EcoDistricts. Additionally, she holds a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the University of Washington and the ENV SP credential.
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Michelle Zelenka is a Regional Energy Manager at NMCOG, serving the towns of Dunstable, Littleton, Pepperell, and Townsend. She works on a range of local and regional projects, including energy reduction and efficiency planning, capital planning, and climate resiliency planning.
Michelle holds a Bachelor’s degree in history from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas and a Master’s in Applied Geography in Resource and Environmental Studies from Texas State University. Her research primarily focused on the Environmental Justice Movement in Austin, and she hopes to utilize this knowledge in her role at NMCOG to assist in creating equitable energy outcomes for all communities. Prior to joining NMCOG, she worked as a Research Associate at NMR Group, providing quantitative and qualitative research assessing energy efficiency programs throughout the Northeast. She also has prior experience working as an environmental and sustainability intern for the City of San Marcos, TX and the Comal County Engineer’s Office. She is also a certified HERS rater and has experience performing energy audits in residential buildings. In her free time, she enjoys practicing film photography, reading, and hiking around the Boston area.
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Chris is the Housing and Economic Development Program Manager - AICP, and has been with NMCOG since October 2021. Chris oversees the housing and economic development team and provides direct technical assistance on housing, economic development, and land use projects. He also manages the District Local Technical Assistance program and the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy process. In the latter role, he serves as a liaison to the U.S. Economic Development Administration on behalf of the region’s communities. Chris represents NMCOG on the Common Ground Development Corporation and the Greater Lowell MassHire Workforce Board.
Chris lives in Lowell with his partner--and often pet fancy rats--but was born near Buffalo, New York and grew up near Champaign, Illinois. He received a Master’s in Regional Planning at Cornell University and has been in the planning field for over a decade. Prior to that, he was a substitute teacher and a drug and alcohol addiction recovery center technician. He co-founded the community-based organizations DIY Lowell and Lowell Votes, and serves on boards of Brush Art Gallery and DIY Lowell. Chris is a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
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Amanuel is a Transportation Planner II at NMCOG and joined our team in February 2025. In his work he contributes to transportation planning initiatives, including implementation of the Greater Lowell Vision Zero Plan, applying his skills in data analysis, stakeholder engagement, and policy development to enhance regional mobility and safety.
Before joining NMCOG, Amanuel worked as a Junior Civil Engineer and Project Coordinator, gaining experience in highway design, transportation research, and project management. During his master’s, he completed academic projects in Europe focused on mobility planning, transit design, and road safety. He also served on the advisory board of Save the Nations, supporting Vision Zero initiatives, and was a World Ambassador for Road Safety and Sustainable Mobility, representing the voices of youth in advocating for safer, more sustainable transport systems.
Amanuel holds a Master’s in Transportation Science with a specialization in Transport Policy and Planning from Hasselt University, Belgium, and a Bachelor’s in Construction Technology and Management from Addis Ababa Science and Technology University.
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Apple is a Transportation Planner I at NMCOG, joining the team January 2025. She primarily works in expanding pedestrian and cyclist mobility in the Greater Lowell Region. To this role, Apple brings a passion for supporting environmental justice communities and accessible planning/scientific communication.
Before joining NMCOG, Apple worked as a fellow and research manager for the Human-Environment Regional Observatory where she studied urban forests. Her research, which focused on the impact of tree planting initiatives to mitigate urban stormwater runoff, led to successful tree planting projects in environmental justice hubs in Worcester, MA. Apple has also worked in both conservation and education – developing various green infrastructure initiatives and teaching Geographic Information Science.
Apple received her Bachelor’s in Environmental Science with a concentration in Earth Systems Science from Clark University. She continued her studies at Clark to earn her Master’s in GIS, graduating in May 2024.