Zoning Reform Isn’t Coming – It's Here: What Preservationists Need to Know

Andrea Burke is the Historic Preservation Supervisor in the Community Planning and Economic Development Department at the City of Minneapolis. A Minneapolis native, she holds degrees in Art History and Archaeology from the University of Missouri and Historic Preservation from the University of Georgia. With over 20 years of experience in public and private sectors, she has worked as a planner, consultant, and architectural historian in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Since re-establishing the City’s preservation team in 2019, she has guided major initiatives including ordinance updates, grant-funded projects, and community engagement efforts.

Emma Battaglia joined the Metropolitan Area Planning Council's (MAPC) Housing Division in 2021 as a Senior Housing & Land Use Planner. Her work includes supporting the Metropolitan Mayors Coalition (MMC) Regional Housing Task Force and coordinating housing policy implementation for the agency. She also manages a variety of municipal planning processes, including housing production plans, neighborhood plans, zoning updates, and more. Prior to joining MAPC, Emma worked as a Senior Planner for the City of Melrose. Emma holds a Master of Urban Planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources from Cornell University. She serves as a member of her local Planning Board.

Briana Paxton is a historic preservation professional, housing advocate, and small-scale developer based in Savannah, GA. For her day job, she works remotely as a policy analyst for Preservation Maryland where she actively researches, develops, and advocates for policy innovations and regulatory systems that promote equitable and sustainable development. She previously worked in the private sector as a consultant with Ethos Preservation and PlaceEconomics. Briana serves as Chairwoman of Preservation Action, leading national efforts to secure sound federal preservation policy and is a former board member for the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions. She holds a Master’s in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s from the College of William and Mary.