People

Will Ochowicz started Madison is for People in 2021. Will grew up outside of Milwaukee and went to UW-Madison. After college, he got a job, settled down, and stayed in the city. He's proud to say that he was married in one of Madison's beautiful parks. Will is passionate about making Madison better for everyone, no matter their income or ability. Will recently made the switch to be car-lite and bike as his primary mode of transportation. He also leads the Communications Committee for MifP.

Darrin Wasniewski’s journey into building communities can best be described as iterative. What began as a desire to save old buildings in the German Village neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio, evolved into a passion for fostering social connection and creating places for all ages and all abilities. He currently co-leads AARP Wisconsin’s Livable Communities efforts around the state in addition to being a partner in Grow Collaborative Consulting. As a volunteer, Darrin is a Global Walkability Correspondent for Pedestrianspace.org, a collaborative focused on advancing walkable communities around the world, where he leads international workgroups focused on Architecture & Urbanism and the Walkable Economy. In Wisconsin, his passion finds an outlet as a steering committee member of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin’s Active Wisconsin Network. Locally, in his home of Madison, he serves on the steering and transportation committees for Madison is for People, is a member of Downtown Madison Inc., participating on the organization’s transportation and economic development committees, and is a transportation commissioner for the City of Madison. Additionally, he maintains membership in the Wisconsin Downtown Action Council, Congress for New Urbanism, American Planning Association, and YIMBY Action. Darrin is a non-fiction book junkie, soaking up a few a month, and an avid podcast listener. Be careful; he’ll talk your ear off about a current read or a podcast he just listened to.

Mary Pustejovsky is passionate about livable cities for people. Biking is her primary form of transportation with 3 kids. She has lived in Madison since 2020 and prior to that lived in Austin and Chicago. In Austin, she was a board member for the Red Line Parkway Initiative as well as AURA, a land use and transit advocacy group. In her day job, she works in the nonprofit industry, focused on technology used by nonprofits for fundraising and operations.

Ian Jamison came to Madison 12 years ago as a student and never left. Moving to the “15-minute” Marquette neighborhood and going car-free in 2020 transformed his daily life. Now, as chair of the Transportation Committee, he advocates for policies that would give neighbors across Madison the same option. He is passionate about sustainability, affordable housing, public transit, and building strong, cohesive communities. His nine years in the healthcare industry sent him all over the world, and he loves sharing the great ideas he’s seen in other countries.

Mike Zenz first moved to Madison in 2004, but then did a stint in Washington D.C. for grad school. When he returned to Madison in 2015, he was shocked at how scarce and expensive housing had become. He is particularly interested in finding ways to focus local governments on the needs of both renters and home-owners when they are crafting community plans and policies. He loved the sort of transit oriented development he experienced when living in D.C., where he could walk to the subway and get anywhere in the city, and is excited that his neighborhood of Eken Park is turning into just such a place. He is also an avid watcher of Madison Plan Commission and Common Council meetings. Must See TV!

David Welton was born and raised in Oregon. When he moved to Bend, he and his family rented a place, and saw firsthand what the rising costs and scarcity of available housing look like. David became interested in housing and cities because of how deeply they affect everything, from the economy to the environment and people’s emotional well-being. He works professionally as a software engineer.

Jim Roberts has been coming to Bend since the 1970’s. He’s seen it grow from a shuttered mill town into the wonderful city it is today. Jim helped start Bend YIMBY because he believes our great city can only grow and prosper if everyone who works here can afford to live here. He once accepted a beer from a developer. Once.

Kathryn Olney is a retired attorney, gardener, and community activist. She serves on the Board of a statewide non-profit that raises money for legal services for low-income Oregonians, does pro bono legal representation, stewards a Little Free Library, and advocates for housing for all.

John Heylin is co-owner of Unofficial Logging Company, an axe-throwing bar in downtown Bend. He has an MBA from Presidio Graduate School and served 2 years in the Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa. He serves on the City of Bend Accessibility Advisory Committee, Core Area Advisory Board, and is a Board Advisor to The Father’s Group.

“Tailor Glad” is a student at OSU Cascades who spends their free time advocating for better housing policy and spreading awareness of Council action through meeting summaries they share for free on Substack (tailorglad.substack.com)

Kim Ely is a scientist who studies the effect of environmental change on plants, and has a broad interest across the intersection of housing, transportation and sustainability. She believes that access to a safe and secure home is fundamental for the well-being of individuals and families, and the health of our entire community. She also serves on the City of Bend Transportation Bond Oversight Committee.

Dan is a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice and YIMBY Law board member. He lives in Ballston/Bluemont, Arlington with his wife. They enjoy traveling, hiking, dining out, live music and theater, and wine tasting in NoVA. @DanAlban

Jane is director of philanthropy operations at Food & Water Watch and a volunteer board member with the Alliance for Housing Solutions. She proudly rents in Courthouse, Arlington, with her husband and children. @janefgreen

Luca is a business researcher and recovered federal tax reporter. He lives in Alexandria West with his wife and children. They enjoy seeing friends, hiking, e-biking, and the stellar food in NoVA from around the world, particularly Pho 75 and Mediterranean Bakery. @TheGattoniCelli

Adrian lives in the West End with his wife and toddler. He became a part of the YIMBY movement because he wants Santa Rosa to be affordable for his son to start a family here someday.

Lauren lives across from Howarth Park in eastern Santa Rosa with her partner and two lazy dogs. She became a part of the YIMBY movement because she loves Santa Rosa and all the great local businesses here, and wants our city to affordably house workers of all kinds.

Born and raised in the heart of Silicon Valley in California, Peter has seen how severe housing crises can become.  He believes in common-sense solutions to make housing more affordable (and walkable) for all Fort Collins residents.  A faculty member at CSU since 2016, he owns a historic home in Old Town with his wife Zoey and baby daughter Ida.

Chris is a homegrown YIMBY born and raised here in Fort Collins. As a teacher, Chris believes we need to build enough housing so that his students can live in Fort Collins when they grow up.

Jason Sanchez is a resident of Gainesville. He became lead for the YIMBY movement because he believes we need denser, more walkable, and more accessible housing for everyone.

Joshua Ney is a father to three rad kids. He's played in a million local bands including Control Freak, Parallel, Nervous Systems, the French Horns, Brittle Stars and Crush 22. He's played in the local soccer league and currently spends his Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings playing ultimate frisbee. He also advocates for safe streets. He moved to Florida because of the housing shortage in Northern Virginia and he became a lead for the YIMBY movement because he believes we should have housing that fits within everyone's budget and needs. Not as mean as he looks.

I am a housing and transit advocate. I grew up in San Diego and now I'm living in San Francisco.

Theo is a communications consultant and former Air Force Reserves veteran who previously ran as an independent candidate for Arlington County Board. He enjoys hiking, cycling, and is a sucker for any restaurant with an outdoor patio and string lights. @TheoForARL

Growing up in South Dakota and moving to the Twin Cities for college means I am a hardworking, midwesterner through and through! After graduating from the University of Minnesota in 2004 - I spent a year in Seattle, Washington working in the great outdoors with EarthCorp, a non-profit specializing in reforestation and restoration work. Trail building in the mountains was my favorite! At the end of the program, I returned to Minneapolis to continue volunteering at various non-profits throughout the Cities. I began working at Feed My Starving Children in 2006. I worked in a number of roles however - my favorite position was creating and overseeing “The MarketPlace.” In this role I had the honor of connecting with artisans around the world to purchase and promote their beautiful, handmade items in order to create additional economic growth through fair, sustainable wages - especially for women. In 2017 I left FMSC to work with local, non-profit organizations to help them create online stores to promote their great work. At the same time, I pursued my real estate license which I've maintained for the past 6 years. I enjoy helping friends and family find houses throughout the Twin Cities. I believes housing is a basic human right. Joining the St. Paul Affordability Task Force and helping create the first YIMBY (Yes in My Backyard) chapter in Minnesota are a few ways in which I hope to work towards sustainable, affordable and abundant housing for ALL in the Twin Cities and beyond.

I'm a Twin Cities native who loves calling Minnesota home. I grew up in Plymouth and Richfield, spent my twenties in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and bought my first home in Columbia Heights. I now own my dream property in Andover that allows me to garden, grow apples, and support a robust pollinator population. From a young age, my single mother instilled the importance of giving back to people in our community. The value of each person and their right to be housed, fed, and clothed. Because simply, they are people and it's a human right. While attending college in Iowa, I engaged in grassroots organizing for a political campaign. I learned first hand the power of people uniting for a cause. I spent a summer in Baltimore living in an intentional community focused on nuclear weapon disarmament. I'm passionate about working with others to improve the greater good of the people in our communities. I worked in advising, coaching, and product operations for an education company downtown for 8 years. I loved the people I worked with and the students we served, but when the pandemic hit it was a turning point, a time to refocus my time and energy. I developed an interest in housing through my post college AmeriCorps service; a program that equipped high school youth with skills in home renovation while supporting community rehabilitation. This grew into a passion for guiding others through the home ownership process and teaching folx how to leverage generational wealth building through real estate. After getting licensed in 2020, I discovered the network professionals in this industry who are also passionate about housing affordability, housing as a human right, and ensuring accessibility to the stability of home ownership. When I'm not assisting clients or volunteering for community causes, you can find me walking a bear sized dog or enjoying live music at a local venue with my husband. I enjoy hiking, biking, birding and gardening. I also like to sponsor events or volunteer with organizations close to my heart. I believe we each have the power to weave the fabric of strong, interconnected communities that thrive, collectively.

I live with my two teenagers, their father, and a Shihtzu named Stella in St. Paul. We have happily been renting our home for 6 years. I work primarily in the Twin Cities region. Home has always been important to me - thinking about it, longing for it, and helping individuals and families build it. Before I was eighteen years old, I had lived in a dozen+ homes in various cities throughout the US. I learned first-hand how disruptive moving often is on a child, even when it’s within the same city, but especially when it’s cross-country. During my formative years, I lived in Mississippi with my mom where I witnessed blatant racial discrimination - from attending a mostly segregated parochial school to hearing stories from my mom about her childhood growing up in rural Mississippi to seeing Ku Klux Klan members "marketing" on street corners. As a child, I was horrified and confused by all of it. It's a feeling that has stayed with me decades later. My educational background is architecture and urban planning. While studying urban planning, I became interested in patterns of neighborhood segregation and how to create more integrated, inclusive neighborhoods. It is absolutely possible to create opportunities for more inclusive and racially diverse neighborhoods. There needs to be more education and outreach to the general public about why it’s important to create more affordable housing in ALL areas. And, to offer opportunities for grassroots involvement. I have been a Realtor for almost 20 years, and believe everyone in my industry should be vocal enthusiasts for the creation of more housing, especially the missing middle housing. In most instances, the real estate industry continues to advocate for private property rights, at the expense of real people’s lives. This is why Nichole, Meghan, and myself joined together to create a TC YIMBY chapter early in 2023.