Employee Profiles

Dana Jensen is an associate planner at Vandewalle & Associates who specializes in long-range community and land use planning and regional economic positioning. An experienced project manager and process coordinator, Dana provides a wide variety of planning services that include the preparation of long range plans (“Smart Growth” comprehensive plans, extraterritorial area plans, park and conservation plans), guiding public participation strategies, assisting with current planning and development review, and regional visioning and opportunity analysis.

While at Vandewalle & Associates, Dana has led “Smart Growth” comprehensive planning processes for over twenty communities, including rural communities, exurbs experiencing urban growth pressure, and cities. Recently, Dana was the project manager for the multi-jurisdictional planning process for Shawano and Marquette counties; as well as a park and open space, downtown, neighborhood revitalization, and comprehensive plan for the City of Janesville. Dana has experience preparing extraterritorial area plans (Village of New Glarus), conservation planning (Macon County Conservation District, Illinois), current planning services and development review (villages of New Glarus, DeForest, and Cottage Grove). Innovative public participation, well-coordinated and efficient processes, and effective communication are common threads to Dana’s work.

Dana’s interest and experience includes thinking outside the boundaries of individual communities to more comprehensively understand regional systems. Dana has been active in helping to define and communicate assets, and expose and develop economic opportunities in Dane County and the surrounding region (Collaboration Council, Thrive), and in the Milwaukee region (Milwaukee7)).

Prior to joining Vandewalle & Associates, Dana gained experience in the public and non-profit sectors where she developed her strong research, writing, public outreach, and advocacy skills focused on community development, land use, and environmental planning.

Publications

Jensen, Dana and Field, Donald. “Managing Growth and Development in a Natural-Amenity Rich Landscape: Landowner Attitudes Towards Planning in Northwest Wisconsin.” Amenities and Rural Development. E.d. Gary Paul Green et al. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2005: 259-281

Field, Donald; Clendenning, Greg, and Jensen, Dana. “A Survey of Seasonal and Permanent Landowners in Wisconsin’s Northwoods: Following Dillman and Then Some.” Society and Natural Resources 17 (2004): 431-442

Professional Licenses, Registrations, and Memberships

Member, American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)
Fellow, Doris Duke Conservation Foundation
Fellow, American Planning Association: Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy Division
Member, American Planning Association, National and Wisconsin Chapters

Education

M.S. Urban and Regional Planning
M.S. Land Resources
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin

B.S. Biology (Phi Beta Kappa)
Hope College
Holland, Michigan