Confronting COVID-19 in Our Communities is an online panel of the 30th RPA Assembly.
Moderator
Vanessa Barrios
Senior Associate, State Programs & Advocacy, Regional Plan Association
![Barrios Vanessa](https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/300x300/fp-x:0.44,fp-y:0.15,quality:80/headshots/Barrios_Vanessa.jpg?bossToken=04495b93a370d62718b9ae766c17b8119aadd5b5b7a8ab34c1ca9b18e5cb58d1 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/600x600/fp-x:0.44,fp-y:0.15,quality:80/headshots/Barrios_Vanessa.jpg?bossToken=d0bf6f8ebe3159915676d7b6d16fe8df5e1cd3c229dc323a3328a9929abfa35f 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/900x900/fp-x:0.44,fp-y:0.15,quality:80/headshots/Barrios_Vanessa.jpg?bossToken=976ff964bde9607c9ba0064981ba1d22cc5e3a3f0fa49890caebceff736805cc 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1200x1200/fp-x:0.44,fp-y:0.15,quality:80/headshots/Barrios_Vanessa.jpg?bossToken=9915371c3fff186d45fb173d5cc96c1dbffe346d95d9312b0b7e5eaef251e903 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1500x1500/fp-x:0.44,fp-y:0.15,quality:80/headshots/Barrios_Vanessa.jpg?bossToken=eb5ba790743f4b34bde6c859ef411c8e563871920baedf3987af268431ccbd7f 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1800x1800/fp-x:0.44,fp-y:0.15,quality:80/headshots/Barrios_Vanessa.jpg?bossToken=2353e67ed530f9f7ef09c4f4a49c638b041561a7efa03818c78a86abfc344399 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2100x2100/fp-x:0.44,fp-y:0.15,quality:80/headshots/Barrios_Vanessa.jpg?bossToken=0919dc857c4ad87063e3b43a1fbcae148de594305e47c3d833363b5829ee471a 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2400x2400/fp-x:0.44,fp-y:0.15,quality:80/headshots/Barrios_Vanessa.jpg?bossToken=5364e11b598ff6cff1130c260109ede1dd7af7df0bada65659e6cae1dadd0a74 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2700x2700/fp-x:0.44,fp-y:0.15,quality:80/headshots/Barrios_Vanessa.jpg?bossToken=6fc9855dff3017c54500acbef22c09dc7ead25d373a35a782004b741d6006521 1543w)
Vanessa Barrios conducts research and outreach on projects related to affordable homes, community engagement, and equitable economic development in the region.
Vanessa spearheads the Health Regions Planning Exchange, an RPA-led initiative that convenes a network of planners, practitioners, and advocates from 11 regions across the country to address health and equity in planning. Prior to joining RPA in 2016, she worked as a case manager, housing navigator, and outreach worker at People Assisting the Homeless, a homeless service organization that serves the Greater Los Angeles area.
Vanessa has a bachelor’s in sociology from the University of California, Riverside, and a master’s in urban planning from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University where she focused on international development planning. This specialization culminated in an analysis of local economic growth in the 30 regions of Tanzania and provided recommendations for industry potential and quality of life improvements. Vanessa currently resides in Brooklyn where enjoys tending to her small but mighty windowsill garden.
Mariana Huerta Jones
Campaign & Communications Manager, Alliance for Community Transit - Los Angeles
![P2 Mariana Huerta Jones cropped](https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/300x300/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-MarianaHuertaJones_cropped.jpg?bossToken=9b59fa975861c04d7680e4442742de5783db42951e3d7065c0da7f72e705dda4 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/600x600/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-MarianaHuertaJones_cropped.jpg?bossToken=82c854da6e69a57c00ca3a11d2578de68ae3ee5d5ec064aa42b608b32130fd66 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/900x900/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-MarianaHuertaJones_cropped.jpg?bossToken=4b8835332210fe747b6c47fa67db5de8cb2dd24486ae2c0abfb08b0854f3c21a 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1200x1200/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-MarianaHuertaJones_cropped.jpg?bossToken=7915fdf4a5c1d03a163f7ac851fb6576bc94be61576c3f5141c5c313b32013a1 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1500x1500/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-MarianaHuertaJones_cropped.jpg?bossToken=d37377ca45a5384f708c3b432a2c3e786a9ad3c83f844901e1023e3a1f2e1723 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1800x1800/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-MarianaHuertaJones_cropped.jpg?bossToken=b3fb549cd6712acf4d6bcb1a6fa6536bd1eb0fc78844287b41549dafae49e6bd 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2100x2100/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-MarianaHuertaJones_cropped.jpg?bossToken=47b3acd39fe246236a235fe3dda57a153db0663a9bc044efbd298f59ce206303 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2400x2400/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-MarianaHuertaJones_cropped.jpg?bossToken=1dd7322337a4c31dac0bccb0659a9b09ae0fc84b56e1c14bf6f309ad3c929dd1 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2700x2700/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-MarianaHuertaJones_cropped.jpg?bossToken=7670900955f590ffa4aeaa4ac64a767a7e192986f8b782910e21d4a0e08f2ba3 1543w)
Mariana Huerta Jones is the Campaign & Communications Manager with Alliance for Community Transit - Los Angeles (ACT-LA). At ACT-LA, Mariana leads the coalition’s equitable community planning program and builds capacity for local groups to engage in city land-use planning and advocacy processes. She also leads ACT-LA’s communications strategy. She has over 13 years of experience as a community organizer, researcher, and policy advocate working on economic justice and anti-displacement campaigns. Mariana holds a Masters’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA and a BA in Feminist Studies from Stanford University.
![P2 debbie liu cropped](https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/300x300/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-debbie-liu_cropped.jpg?bossToken=05d7674f9440d2f7ccff7c4696d7224c3a9a00a502ae19403a74fdf1a894b8a0 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/600x600/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-debbie-liu_cropped.jpg?bossToken=8ee4eb22f8c49f8e399c1223bdd211a284db06b910843ad495ca32a920d49255 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/900x900/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-debbie-liu_cropped.jpg?bossToken=676b29d084715626ea5d867559e571cba4ff8c6f203e9d8941ae3f69b0b8e0a8 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1200x1200/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-debbie-liu_cropped.jpg?bossToken=532fc6ac9845d85bac4b75453dcf65cd790b3497b3a53135cee4ae526376d0d8 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1500x1500/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-debbie-liu_cropped.jpg?bossToken=dfa098ef9cf2210e7e61f8761ae567ce8e2ebd475d25acd606aeda081abb7d1a 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1800x1800/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-debbie-liu_cropped.jpg?bossToken=c0dc308734b12c5aacbae5e533cadd157f7a4f50f43b637eb1048a1edaed6bcd 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2100x2100/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-debbie-liu_cropped.jpg?bossToken=f9b2c6125cd9a2d3ed723bf6f1614afbc69b55c3e519e105fec2f41e72fc348b 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2400x2400/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-debbie-liu_cropped.jpg?bossToken=74ead587a1f045270843f7956899daf1e2ae0dd0c6521f2e3689e54e60eaa926 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2700x2700/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-debbie-liu_cropped.jpg?bossToken=38679de1a4ab09bfec6b93c0957bf3012461fccf62896fc80098565988a731ea 1543w)
Debbie Liu (she/her/hers) is the community engagement Associate at Metropolitan Planning Council. She was formerly with Asian Health Coalition (Center for Asian Health Equity) and had spent her early career leading the Coalition for a BetterChinese American Community (CBCAC) to empower Chinese Americans living in Chicago’s Greater Chinatown through civic engagement and community development. Her research background is in gentrification and displacement and she co-authored the “Chinatown Anti-Displacement Community Research Project Report and Map.” Her interests are in improving health outcomes through equitable urban planning and policy change. Debbie was born in Chicago and received her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Laura Wiens
Executive Director, Pittsburghers for Public Transit
![P2 Laura Wiens Headshot hires](https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/300x300/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-Laura-Wiens_Headshot_hires.jpg?bossToken=7a00ddd3621d10a4e494050a64df11ff95d35e3a2c953c19f4042a492bd92906 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/600x600/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-Laura-Wiens_Headshot_hires.jpg?bossToken=0c5cdeb7100d41c36b1d586a74e08a7c0a653a79d85668722e39216b5d932968 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/900x900/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-Laura-Wiens_Headshot_hires.jpg?bossToken=1250d8c4c2174d44ba091a64ef5b829adf5ec4cfcc305e223f0989d3f7dcfc36 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1200x1200/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-Laura-Wiens_Headshot_hires.jpg?bossToken=901bd3a4446a5aaf4a8e99e9edab83ba0f83c297a601531265a36e5b660a624a 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1500x1500/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-Laura-Wiens_Headshot_hires.jpg?bossToken=40893a81b9f18ea2aeec1289e5ab466fbe6dbbc2ff003e5926cb156c4af717a8 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1800x1800/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-Laura-Wiens_Headshot_hires.jpg?bossToken=59e927e632dea57a22dc97d83bedd0fa9ee97d3944c6fea1e9da6a99f12e0349 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2100x2100/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-Laura-Wiens_Headshot_hires.jpg?bossToken=ba9f93b657cf86a2a065cf364b96e5c575cfcdf37041ef1d0d2da7cfeca00744 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2400x2400/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-Laura-Wiens_Headshot_hires.jpg?bossToken=338d017d603e348751417127c2ea366fb9675c12690263beeaca8200ff266f4a 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2700x2700/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/headshots/P2-Laura-Wiens_Headshot_hires.jpg?bossToken=b8b50eec17669b68c55565ee41827b151c2b28b98e19bcc4766669cd1337a143 1543w)
Laura Wiens is the Executive Director of Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT). Over the past two years, she has led successful campaigns to prevent the criminalization of fare evasion and massive transit service reductions in marginalized communities. PPT Transit ride leaders are now advancing campaigns for fare equity, affordable housing and transit policy, and transit as a climate solution.Laura has her roots in labor organizing with Unite HERE, and draws from that experience to mobilize transit riders in the fight for equity, access and transparency within our public agencies. Laura believes in the collective power of people to transform their communities.