M-NCPPC Prince George’s County Planning Department Recognizes the Neighborhood Planning Academy Spring 2025 Cohort with Graduation Ceremony

LARGO, MD – The Prince George’s County Planning Department of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission hosted a graduation ceremony to celebrate the Spring 2025 Cohort of the Neighborhood Planning Academy on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at the M-NCPPC Largo Headquarters. Designed specifically to engage Prince George’s County residents and community stakeholders, the Neighborhood Planning Academy explains the County’s planning framework, how to engage in the development review process, and how to advocate for their community goals and visions.

This spring, 62 representatives, reflecting all regions of Prince George’s County, were selected to participate in a seven-week program to learn the ins and outs of the County’s planning framework, how to engage in the development review process, and how to advocate for their community goals and visions. Since the launch of the program in the fall of 2023, nearly 200 individuals have participated in the Neighborhood Planning Academy.

“The Neighborhood Planning Academy provides a platform for residents, community stakeholders, and municipal leaders to learn the ins and outs of the County’s very complex review process,” said Peter A. Shapiro, Chair of the M-NCPPC Prince George’s County Planning Board. “It’s really a leadership development program in many ways.”

“The program gives residents hands-on knowledge of how developments are created in the County,” said Lakisha Hull, Director of the M-NCPPC Prince George’s County Planning Department. “The award-winning program not only empowers residents to advocate on behalf of their communities, but it also helps meet the mission of the Planning Department by promoting economic vitality, environmental sustainability, design excellence, and quality development that promotes healthy lifestyles in Prince George’s County neighborhoods.”

The Spring 2025 Cohort of the Neighborhood Planning Academy included Oluwafolajimi Akinsiku, Robert Alejnikov, Shelby Austin, Paula Bailey, Lisa Bailey, Kisha Barnes, Amera Bilal, Samia Bingham, Adrienne Blocker, Akilah Brewer, Dwan Bryant, Nastasia Buckley, Kristen Buker, Anton Carty, Kischenna Coley, Geoffrey Collins, Ayana Crawford, Patrica Crews, Cashenna Cross, Stacey Cunningham, Helder de Almeida, Kalisha Dixon, Daniel Douglas, Maureen Farrington, Winona Francis, Roger Gaines, Jeanette Gass, Anna Helm, Monica Higgs, Katrina Hill, Tiffany Hughes, Darrell Jones, Chalya Lar, Jamel Lattimore, Sharon Lawrence, Major Lewis, Carrie Mack, Dr. Theresa Mason Ford, Derricka McCray, Melinda Mendoza, Traci Miller, Cynthia Miller, Marcus Monroe, Pernell Murray, Elder Dr. Jacqueline V. Norris, Alison Pages, Linda Pennoyer, Rakhmel Rafi, Safiya Ransome, Joy Ren, Victoria Reynolds, Kilil Roussaw, Gwen Sherrod, Clyde Springfield, Stephen Toth, Lucia Vasquez, Charlene Vaughn, Terry Waller, JaMea Williams, Laurie Williams, Leslie Wolfinger, and Christopher Brittan-Powell.

During the graduation ceremony, participants delivered capstone project presentations that incorporated independent research findings as well as lessons and topics from the curriculum. Through weekly classes, participants explored the History, Present, and Future of Prince George’s County, Planning 101, the Development Review Process, Building Healthy, Sustainable and Resilient Communities, Multimodal Transportation and Street Safety, and PGAtlas.com – a free public web application and online mapping tool.

For more information on the Neighborhood Planning Academy, visit: https://academy.pgplanning.com. Prince George’s County residents and stakeholders may join the mailing list to receive announcements on applications for the Fall 2025 cohort and upcoming courses.