Donna Kristaponis has influenced planning, zoning and GIS advancement on a national scale. Despite her achievements, planning was not her initial career goal. Following the completion of her of her Ph.D. coursework in 1978, her personal life took a turn.  There would be no overseas work, she needed to stay in Austin.   The City’s HR Director advised Kristaponis to apply for assistant director roles in the City of Austin, TX. It happened that the Planning Department application process started first. Although she reports not feeling qualified for the role, Kristaponis navigated a complex hiring process including written essays, psychological profiles, IQ testing, interviews with psychologists, and interviews.  Her abilities landed her first planning role as the Assistant Planning Director at the fastest growing city in the country: the City of Austin in 1980. “I didn't plan to be a planner. Planning found me.  I love the array of issues we address and the diversity of people who come or were brought to the table to achieve consensus.” In the new role, Kristaponis was given responsibility for developing a new zoning ordinance which established a foundation for her career growth and zoning expertise.

Since her planning career took off over 40 years ago, Kristaponis has held director, executive director, city/county manager, and consulting roles from Las Vegas to D.C. and had her own planning firm which served clients in Texas and Florida. Determination and collaboration characterize Kristaponis’ planning career, even in her first planning role. The Austin zoning ordinance was accomplished over four years, four long years characterized by meetings with all affected: neighborhoods, businesses, and landowners. After the initial presentation to City Council, 31 items remained unresolved.  The mayor directed Kristaponis to develop consensus and bring the ordinance back for adoption in six weeks.  She continued to lead weekly meetings including all interested parties.  After five weeks, only three of the most major issues had been resolved; 28 were unresolved. The following week, Kristaponis proposed solutions to the remaining issues, and all proposals were accepted by the ad hoc committee and, ultimately, the City Council.  The public hearing at the time of adoption was a love fest.   Forty years later, the same zoning ordinance is in place, which bothers Kristaponis.  “Reaching consensus is hard work, but as cities grow, their ordinances need to reflect the changing conditions and values.” 

Through her robust career, Kristaponis has not shied away in approaching new issues and challenges, though some challenges have been greater than others. Kristaponis reports her role as the Planning and Development Director at the City of Houston as one of the greatest challenges in her career. In this role she led the development of the first ever zoning ordinance in Houston in the early 90’s, starting off with inexperienced staff and recruiting talent through the APA National Planning Conference.  A consulting team developed the initial proposal after interviewing a cross section of the city.  Working with the Planning Commission and the community at large over the next three years, the staff worked to tailor the proposal and map all 620 square miles of the City.   After the City Council held public hearings about the document and the maps, the package was approved 15 – 0 by the Houston City Council.  Next, the State legislature intervened and determined that with such an important change, the public should be able to vote.  They required a general election for the ordinance to be ratified.  The election was held in August, a single-issue election, which Kristaponis noted is the easiest to beat.  According to Kristaponis, brochures were circulated ahead of the general election citing concern for increased taxes and raising concern about racial inequity and isolation.  It was an interesting conundrum, in that Black neighborhoods and churches were among the strongest proponents of the zoning ordinance.  The City addressed the issue of social inequity head on during the ordinance development.   As for tax increases, it makes sense that would happen because zoning raises land values by protecting existing land uses from incompatible uses.  Today, the City of Houston does not address land uses within the city but has adopted many separate ordinances that regulate what a zoning ordinance typically includes: compatibility requirements, height, setbacks, landscaping, street trees and so on. The zoning ordinance failed to pass but was certainly not a career failure for Kristaponis.  Six weeks after the election, Rice University officials did their annual citizen survey.  60 percent of respondents favored zoning. 

Public-Political-Planner dynamics have been the source of other career challenges as well. In several instances, Kristaponis has been pressed by a city manager to lie to a city council or to give a city council a recommendation based on an elected official’s personal position rather than a professional staff recommendation based on policy. “My goal has always been to get people with disparate opinions to reach consensus. I’m not always successful.” This value has been core in her career success.

Despite logistical, political and ethical barriers, Kristaponis has achieved outstanding accomplishments in planning. She has negotiated to reduce development in hazardous flood plains. She oversaw GIS system development in Washington, D.C., and for west-coast telecom, and oil and gas clients. She has designed zoning codes from scratch, built onto existing codes, and simplified other codes.  In Palm Beach County, Florida, the comprehensive plan she was responsible for was the first accepted by the state without stipulations.  For The Acreage, an area of significant environmental issues, she negotiated a settlement resolving problems that had plagued the County for decades.  John DeGrove, known as the father of growth management, stated, “Donna is smart and talented in bringing people together. “

As stated previously, some of Kristaponis’ work remains in place in the City of Austin from her work in the late 80’s.  Her work is also still evident in Houston, Las Vegas, Reno, and Washington, D.C.  When asked if she was pleased with this success, she expressed “cities grow and change; ordinances need to reflect the changes. Unfortunately, it's too easy to stick with the status quo rather than attempt an open development process with all stakeholders at the table.” Success for Kristaponis isn’t just about personal achievement, but about facilitating the success of growth within a community.

Donna Kristaponis’ legacy offers several lessons to rising planners. Kristaponis key piece of advice for planners.  She commends active listening as a critical communication skill for planning, conflict resolution, and career advancement. Kristaponis advises planners “listen, listen, listen, and listen more. I use what I've learned to articulate an opportunity and potential ways to expand on the challenge. It sounds easy; it isn't. Don't strive to be the first to speak; listen and speak last, summarizing what you've heard and adding more, if appropriate.” Further, Kristaponis advises planners looking to advance their careers to stay up to date on projects, issues and trends in the planning world by reading news and periodicals, as well as to consider moving between cities as a pathway to career advancement. Beyond Kristaponis’ advice, planners might also learn to hold space for collaboration, make balanced trade offs in negotiation, and stick to their values through planning career challenges.

Education: Bachelor’s in Piano Performance and Conducting, University of Washington; Master’s of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin, Lyndon B. Johnson Schoold of Public Affairs; Coursework for a Ph.D. in International Business and Economics.

APA Divisions: City Planning and Management Division, County Planning Division, Economic Development Division, Housing and Community Development Division, Planning and Law Division, Urban Design and Preservation Division, Planning with Underserved Populations Interest Group, Women and Planning Division.

States Worked: Texas, Florida, Nevada, Washington D.C., Consultant in Ohio, Maryland, and California 

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