Jesse Schofield Email & Phone Number

Oakland, California, United States

Oakland, California, United States

I joined the BART Office of Civil Rights as Senior Title VI & Environmental Justice Analyst. This was a slight shift in my career path, however I'm learning that planners often end up in these analyst type roles.My first main assignment was updating the Language Assistance Plan, a major component of the Triennial Title VI Program Update--required by the FTA. In addition to the research and data analysis, updating the plan also required presenting to BART's Title VI & Environmental Justice Advisory Committee and the Limited English Proficiency Advisory Committee.I audited system-wide language assistance measures and noted opportunities to improve the Title VI complaint process for customers who are limited English proficient.

San Francisco Bay Area

I spent most of my time at Muni as a member of the Communications & Marketing Division. As the sole transportation planner in Communications, my role was primarily supporting public information officers with communicating the technical details of proposed transportation projects or transit service changes. Examples of my work in this capacity include:--Developing tools and resources to communicate temporary changes to transit service due to construction and special events, including interactive maps--Providing geospatial research and analysis to support various grant applications and federal reporting requirements, such as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964--Maintaining website content to communicate changes to Muni routes and stops due to either construction, special events, or service changes, including coordination with City and regional partner agencies and event organizersBeing close to the Marketing team, I also enjoyed participating in more creative projects, such as the "This is Your Muni" etiquette campaign, where we used music-related puns to promote desired customer behavior.I later joined the Transit Service Planning team in somewhat of a role reversal. Where before I was focused on improving the information provided to the public, I was now focused on improving service offered to the public.Generally, on a quarterly basis, I adjusted transit service in response to feedback from community members, transit operators, and elected officials. This work required site visits and field tests to determine feasibility of proposed changes of routes and stops throughout the system.At the SFMTA, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to be trained as Lean Leader through the San Francisco City Performance Lean Program. This training opened my eyes to the many bureaucratic processes which were unnecessarily complicated and prone to delay and methods to improve those processes.

Oakland, California

The Local Development/Intergovernmental Review (LD/IGR) program mandates Caltrans responsibility for reviewing local development projects, programs, and plans with the potential to impact the regional transportation network and State transportation-related assets. Through the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the LD/IGR program’s review of local projects ensures the public disclosure and sharing of information and expertise with local Lead Agency partners. My role is the coordination of CEQA review for projects located in Alameda and San Francisco counties. For select projects, I also coordinate review for regional projects, such as Plan Bay Area 2040, the update to the first integrated Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Review coordination requires not only circulating projects to relevant Caltrans units and compiling their comments, but it also requires an understanding of the CEQA process, its deadlines, and the limits of what a Responsible Agency can ask of a Lead Agency. I also serve as the Administrator for a new, web-based tool that Caltrans uses to review and track projects, liaising between reviewers, coordinators, and headquarters to improve the system and improve the environmental review process.Review of transportation impacts is changing as the State is shifting how Lead Agencies can measure transportation impacts and mitigation in the CEQA process. This has allowed me to help lead the way in communicating and implementing those institutional changes at Caltrans in how we review and respond to projects.I still maintain that early coordination is crucial in a successful project, seeking out opportunities to involve Caltrans as early as possible, before the CEQA process. This allows for the opportunity to identify any critical flaws in a project before much time and money is spent on developing a study or proposal.

Eureka, California

System Planning is the beginning of Caltrans’ long-range transportation planning for state highway infrastructure. My primary role is developing 20-year concepts for state highways which are used as reference by staff in maintenance, engineering, and design, among other branches. I also serve as the branch climate change coordinator, developing a long-term plan to address sea-level rise and extreme storm events. For both concept reports and climate change, I incorporate sound research for population, transportation, and climate projections as well as coordinate with varying local, state, and federal agencies.I believe that the planning process needs to be as transparent and inclusive as possible. I have sought out and continue to seek out opportunities to engage the public regarding projects that have the potential to affect their transportation needs. Recent examples of this include facilitating community workshops regarding replacement of a controversial segment of highway and improvements of non-motorized transportation in an economically disadvantaged community. In addition to improved public relations, this process ensure utilization of the new facilities by adapting to feedback provided by the benefiting community.I am also flexible in my work roles. Due to staffing issues in our Regional Planning branch, I assist with their Local Development Intergovernmental Review workload. As part of CEQA requirements, I review development proposals to ensure that work will not significantly impact state highways. Where necessary, I arrange meetings with local agencies and relevant Caltrans staff to gather project details as necessary.

Giporlos, Philippines

Peace Corps Response is an emergency aid program designed for qualified professionals to serve in rewarding, short-term assignments. It differs from traditional Peace Corps in that applicants apply to a specific project. I jumped at the rare opportunity to serve as a comprehensive land use planner in the Philippines in the wake of record-breaking Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. I worked in the coastal community of Giporlos to incorporate disaster mitigation and climate change adaptations into their municipal comprehensive land use plan. Not only was I able to learn a new GIS suite (Manifold 8), I was able to use it develop a ‘heat map’ of the riskiest locations for infrastructure investment. I also developed training materials for municipal staff to use the software to produce maps and plans and provided interpretation and guidance on national policies regarding development in the coastal zone, similar to regulations set by the California Coastal Commission.

San Francisco Bay Area

Graduating at the height of the recession, I had trouble finding work as a planner. Instead, I worked in a field that allowed me to develop my skills in public speaking and outreach. Coincidentally, United put me back on the West Coast.

Tallahassee, Florida Area

ARCADIS’ Tallahassee office housed their disaster mitigation and resilience consulting team. My internship focused on producing an internal ‘wiki’ for a state agency as an interactive, cross-referenced resource for emergency management. The website included references to relevant legal code, grants, and guidelines from both state and federal agencies. I also wrote a white paper on the cost of disruption of non-essential services which is still being referenced today as a model for cost avoidance through mitigation and resilience.

Maseru, Lesotho

My first Peace Corps service was in Lesotho where I worked with the Millennium Challenge Corporation to implement a thirty-two-million-dollar grant to develop and upgrade urban water infrastructure in 10 towns throughout the country. This was my first exposure to large budget infrastructure projects. It remains one of my most challenging-yet-rewarding professional experiences.

Maseru, Lesotho

As a Peace Corps Volunteer, my secondary projects focused on empowering the disadvantaged and environmental education. This work was done in my free time, outside of my duties to the Millennium Challenge Account. Building off of my primary assignment, I lead seminars with community groups and classrooms on the hazards and costs associated with water pollution as well as ways to prevent it. I also partnered with another organization to work with street youth to develop income-generating recycling activities. I also secured USAID grants and MTV media rights to produce culturally appropriate and engaging events to a large audience of local youth on the topic of HIV/AIDS.

Focusing on GIS support and lab maintenance, not only did this position offer me tuition assistance, it also allowed me to see the many ways that students and professors were using GIS, both in analysis and graphic storytelling.

Wilderness Technology Alliance, being a non-profit focused on making technology accessible to low-income communities, was a unique opportunity for me as a VISTA. I worked with middle school groups across western Washington state to support their technology clubs, including updating their curricula. I also recruited and trained volunteers on computer hardware and software skill sets.

VISTA was a new project for EarthCorps, where I worked primarily to promote the MLK Day of Service in Seattle. This position allowed me to network on behalf of EarthCorps, creating new partnerships in name of community service. Being interviewed on the local news was a big win for me.

I volunteered with AmeriCorps in urban environmental restoration in the middle of my undergraduate study. This experience helped me focus my career path and inspired me to become an urban planner. It also convinced me that my future was on the Best Coast. :-)

Master Of Science In Planning (Msp), Planning For Least Developed Countries, 3.98

Activities and Societies: Synoptikos Student Planning Organization, American Planning Association - Florida, Relay for Life, Returned.

Bachelor Of Science (B.Sc.), Engineering Science, Aerospace Engineering

Activities and Societies: Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, Multiracial Student Union, Alternative Spring Break, Relay for LifeI initially.

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Engineering Science