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Principal,
Interpretive Insights

Amanda Hughes-Horan is the Principal of Interpretive Insights, a Houston-based environmental consultancy specializing in planning and designing interpretive signage and other educational media for parks, nature centers and other clients.

She was an Interpretive Planner with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department from 1993-2011, and was responsible for the development of natural history exhibits and interpretive signage in numerous State Parks from the mountains of far-west Texas to the Panhandle and Texas Pineywoods.

Amanda established Interpretive Insights in 2008 and has continued to build up an extensive portfolio of interpretive projects for a wide variety of clients in both private and public sectors including the Houston Parks Board, Texas A&M University, municipal governments, schools, nature centers, and non-profits.

Originally from the United Kingdom, Amanda has a B.A. Honors degree in Modern Languages from the University of Westminster, and an M.Sc. in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University. She is married with one daughter and is passionate about natural resource conservation and helping people connect with nature and the Great Outdoors.

Principal / Director of Planning,
Asakura Robinson

Growing up in South Minneapolis, Zakcq Lockrem became fascinated with the unique overlap of infrastructure and culture that makes up a city. In his work, he focuses on the experience of urban space and the role of public space in shaping civic engagement. He brings broad project experience from the gulf coast, Asia, New England, California, Mexico and West Africa working on issues from cycling to affordable housing.

In addition, Zakcq brings significant experience from the non-profit sector, which he utilizes in developing cutting-edge public participation strategies and to build the capacity of project stakeholders. He served as an adjunct professor of urban planning at Texas Southern University, is a co-founder of Social Agency Lab, a collaborative of urban planners and designers from around the country who engage in public art and creative urban interventions, and is an alternate member of the City of Austin’s Pedestrian Advisory Council. Zakcq is one of the 2015 Next City Vanguard, a group of 40 urban thought leaders under 40. Zakcq has a B.S. in Urban Affairs from Boston University and a Masters in Urban Planning from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.

Executive Director,
East Downtown Management District

Anton Sinkewich is the Executive Director of the East Downtown Management District.

Permit and Licensing Review Analyst,
Transportation Department for City of Austin

Paloma Amayo-Ryan joined the City of Austin’s Transportation Department three years ago and has quickly become an alternative transit enthusiast. A budding urbanist, she has recently been involved in permitting for Sidewalk Cafés, co-organizing the City’s PARK(ing) DAY process, and developing a Guerilla Wayfinding “walkshop” for the National Association of City Transportation Officials’ 2015 Designing Cities Conference. As an Austin-native, Paloma prioritizes service to her community and has held positions as both a Lead S.T.E.M Teacher for AISD and a Lead Program Manager for a workforce development organization. She earned a B.S. in Communications and a Texas Business Foundations Program Certificate, from the University of Texas. Paloma is a current member of Lady Scouts of Austin and the National Skee-Ball League and in her free time enjoys hiking, camping, traveling, and learning.

Pedestrian-Bicycle Coordinator and Project Manager,
Traffic Operations Division of the Public Works and Engineering Department

In her short stay with the Department Anita has initiated the City’s first bicycle count program, bicycle detour conditions and established a safety training program she is hoping to mature across city departments.  Prior to her current role, Anita worked in the Transportation Planning Division of the Planning & Development Department where she assisted with the Houston Bike Plan, managed sub-regional mobility plans focused on multi-modal corridor considerations, assisted with the draft and passage of the Houston Complete Street Executive Order, and the City’s Infrastructure Design Manual (IDM) which provides basic criteria from which engineers can design infrastructure in an acceptable manner. While within P&D, Anita also oversaw two cycles of the Major Thoroughfare and Freeway Plan Amendment Cycle and managed the Texas APA award-winning Urban Houston Framework study. Prior to her work in the public sector, Anita practiced transportation planning at Kimley-Horn and Associates managing small area plans, conducting pedestrian-shed analysis and assisting in model testing and development. Anita earned her Master of Urban Planning and associated certifications in Geographic Information Systems and Sustainable Urbanism form Texas A&M University.