Employee Profiles

Jolena Presti is an associate planner in the redevelopment planning and economic positioning divisions of Vandewalle & Associates. Jolena’s professional practice focuses on downtown, waterfront, and commercial district redevelopment planning and implementation, project management, and economic development and positioning services for communities throughout the Upper Midwest.

Jolena is currently the project manager for redevelopment planning and implementation projects in the communities of Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Saukville, Jefferson and Cudahy, Wisconsin. As the project manager, Jolena oversees day-to-day client and consultant team communication, internal team management, and plan and implementation strategies development. Furthermore, Jolena’s work with these communities includes the preparation of land use plans, project feasibility analyses, developer and business recruitment, selection and project review, and facilitation of stakeholder interviews, focus groups and public participation events.
Prior to joining Vandewalle & Associates, Jolena was the special projects manager for a county economic development commission in California. Prior to that, she worked for the University of Washington on projects focused on economic and community development, transportation, and housing. These experiences helped Jolena gain extensive experience with project management, community development, and land use planning.

Education
M.U.P. College of Architecture and Urban Planning
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington

M.P.A. Public Administration
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington

B.A. Business Administration and Marketing
(Minor in Economics) (Cum Laude)
Lakeland College
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Professional Licenses, Registrations, and Memberships
Member American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)
Member American Planning Association, National and Wisconsin Chapters
President, Brentwood Village Association, Madison, WI
City of Madison, Wisconsin Northport-Warner Park-Sherman Avenue Neighborhood Plan
Steering Committee