The MDRN Advisory Committee members collaborate with the Chaddick Institute in assessing plans and topics for events and projects. The members have also volunteered their professional skills and experience to present topics and facilitate discussion at Network meetings. The Committee has recently formalized to represent a diverse range of Chicago area municipalities, and seeks to include various forms of design review, geographic and cultural diversity.
The current members are:
Dominick Argumedo, AICP
Morton Grove, IL
Dominick is the Zoning Administrator/Land Use Planner for the Village of Morton Grove. He is the staff liaison for the Appearance Commission, Plan Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals. He has previous planning experience through working on both coasts (San Francisco and Washington, DC) in both the private and public sectors. Dominick is AICP certified with a Master of Urban Planning and Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.
Jeff Brady, AICP
Glenview, IL
Jeff is the Director of Planning/ Deputy Director of Development responsible for providing recommendation on technical matters to Boards and Commission, and assists in administering and coordinating Development Department policies. Jeff was the primary planner for the award winning Glenview Naval Air Station redevelopment, directed arterial corridor studies, contributed to significant Appearance Code updates, and oversaw downtown revitalization efforts that led to one of the first form-based codes in the Chicagoland area. He holds a Master of Urban Planning and Policy degree from UIC and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University.
Johanna Bye
Des Plaines, IL
Johanna is a Senior Planner at the city of Des Plaines, where she serves as staff liaison to the Appearance Review Commission. Prior to joining Des Plaines, Johanna worked as a Planner in Libertyville. Johanna has a BA in Geography from UCLA and an MA in Urban Planning and Policy from UIC.
Andy Cross, AICP
Highland Park, IL
Andy is a Planner for the City of Highland Park. Originally from Minnesota, he spent five years as a planner for a Minneapolis suburb before relocating to the North Shore. He is the staff liaison to the Highland Park’s Design Review Commission. Andy received his master's in Urban Planning from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. He is also the staff liaison to Highland Parks Historic Preservation Board.
Tom Farace
Carol Stream, IL
Tom is the Planning & Economic Development Manager for the Village of Carol Stream. He accepted this position in early 2016. Prior to that, he worked in Schaumburg, IL for over 10 years, focused on the “greening” of design ordinances for the village and is a resource to the MDRN committee on such issues. He earned an MPA degree from Northern Illinois University and a MUP from the University of Illinois-Chicago.
John Hedrick
Attorney/Consultant
John is a Senior Advisor to Chaddick and the founder and interim chair of the Municipal Design Review Network. A licensed attorney, John specialized in business and government matters and has been involved in municipal planning issues for over 25 years. John was Chair of the Glenview Appearance Commission and has served on various planning Committees for the Village. He has his law and finance degrees from U of I Champaign-Urbana.
Stephen Robles
Naperville, IL
Stephen received his Bachelor of Arts at the University of Miami (Ohio) in Urban and Regional Planning, with a concentration in Human Factors and Ergonomic Design for People. He began working for the City of Tamarac Florida as an Assistant Planner (2003-2004) and later as a Senior Planner for Indianapolis, where he was a member of the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Multi-Modal and Public Space Design Committee. He also worked as a Village Planner for Lincolnshire. He currently works in Naperville's Traffic, Engineering, Development and Planning Services Department.
He also is a member of the Lake County Alternative Energy Task Force and sits on the board of an 18-community GIS consortium.
Scott Magnum, AICP
Evanston, IL
Scott joined the City of Evanston as a Senior Planner in 2016. He previously worked as a Senior Planner with the City of Des Plaines, the City of Chicago, as well experience as a planner with the City of Long Beach, California. Scott graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a double major in Sociology and Afro-American Studies before earning a Master of Planning at the University of Southern California.
Laurie B. Marston, AICP, Planning Consultant
Laurie has been a consultant since 1997, providing planning, zoning, and urban design services to local governments, developers, and small businesses. She also presents workshops for planners, appointed and elected officials at DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute. She worked in public sector planning for over 20 years including as Director of Community Development for the Village of Wilmette. She has a master's Degree from the University of Chicago.
Dudley Onderdonk, AICP, Planning Consultant
Dudley, a LEED Green Associate, has 35 years experience in urban planning, community and economic development. His career includes managing community development departments in suburban Chicago including Park Forest, Oak Park and Gurnee, and serving Scottsdale, AZ and Los Angeles, CA. The author of several papers and articles, Dudley is also a former National Board member of the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners. He holds advanced degrees in urban planning and environmental science.
Linnea O’Neill, AICP, RLA
Northfield, IL
Linnea currently works for the Village of Northfield as the Village Planner and Landscape Architect. In that capacity she is responsible for planning reports to the Village Board, Plan Commission and the Architectural Commission, for which she is the staff liaison. She also reviews all building permits for zoning and landscape compliance. She initiated and coordinates the Village Tree Preservation program including the Emerald Ash Borer removal and reforestation program.
Linnea has previously worked for IDOT, Arlington Heights, and Barrington and has served as a planning consultant for EJM Engineering, Hanover Park and Lombard. Linnea is a member of the Arlington Heights Design Commission. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois and a master’s in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Jean Spagnoli
Deerfield, IL
Jean received the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago in May 1980, majoring in architectural space planning and started employment with the Village of Deerfield in October 1981. She received an Illinois Real Estate Salesperson License in 1987 and maintained the license until 2012. In May 1986, the Village of Deerfield established an Appearance Review Commission. She worked as staff liaison with the ad hoc committee to develop the first Appearance Code and have continued to be staff liaison of Appearance Review Commission since its inception to the present, now 28 years.
Currently, Jean is involved in the updating of the Deerfield Appearance Code. Other commissions and committees where she served as staff liaison include: Village Center Development Commission 1981-1991; Village Center Redevelopment Committee (TIF District) 1986; Streetscape Design Task Force 1987-1993 and 2000-2002; Window Signage Committee 2006; Northwest Quadrant Unified Planning Task Force 2011-2013, Deerfield Cemetery Commission 2009-present and I administered Façade Rebate Programs 1995-2002 and 2003-2006
MDRN Advisory Council members are appointed by and serve at the discretion of the Chaddick Institute. For further information regarding the Advisory Committee, or selection criteria, please contact John Hedrick at mdrn@depaul.edu.