CNU Staff

Lynn Richards
President and CEO
Email: lrichards@cnu.org

Lynn Richards is President and CEO of the Congress for the New Urbanism. Previously, Richards had a long and distinguished career at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), holding multiple leadership roles over 13 years including Acting Director and Policy Director in the Office of Sustainable Communities. She worked with dozens of state and local governments to implement placemaking approaches by developing policies, urban design strategies, and environmental solutions for vibrant, prosperous neighborhoods. Additionally, she produced groundbreaking research on water and land use strategies.

Before joining the EPA, Richards worked briefly in the private sector at a consulting firm. She lived and worked in the former Soviet Republics from 1988 to 1995, helping environmental groups increase their organizational and political effectiveness.

Richards was awarded a Loeb Fellowship in Advanced Environmental Studies at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in the 2012-2013 school year. She has a dual Masters in Environmental Science and Public Affairs from Indiana University.

Selected Publications

Abigail Sheridan
Deputy Director
Email: asheridan@cnu.org
Phone: 312.551.7300 x13

Abby joined CNU in March 2008 as the new Administration and Finance Director. Prior to joining CNU, she received a degree in Biology from Bucknell University and worked as the Director of Administration and Programs for the Neighborhood Technology Resource Center, a not-for-profit located in Chicago. In her spare time, Abby enjoys running along the lakefront and traveling home to Maine.

Alex McKeag
Program Manager
Email: amckeag@cnu.org
Phone: 312.551.7300 x16

Alex McKeag joined the CNU team in November 2012, first as a communications intern, and then stepped in as CNU’s Interim Communications Director from January to March 2013. Alex now manages the annual Congress program and CNU initiatives. Before working at CNU, Alex earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and spent two years working and teaching abroad. He’s also spent two years as communications and project support for a small economic development organization in his hometown of Moline, IL.

Juantiki Jones
Membership Assistant
Email: jjones@cnu.org
Phone: 312.551.7300 x19

Juantiki joined CNU in April of 2007 as the receptionist/assistant to John Norquist in 2008. Today, as the Membership Assistant, she is the daily face of CNU for members and is solely responsible for member satisfaction. Born and raised in Chicago, Juantiki has a personal desire to see the city’s sprawl replaced with livable, walkable and sustainable communities. Please call and make sure you introduce yourself to Tiki and learn more about what CNU has to offer.

Susan Kase
Bookkeeper
Email: skase@cnu.org
Phone: 312.551.7300

Susan joined CNU in the role of bookkeeper in July 2014 after moving to Chicago, one year prior, from Ann Arbor, Michigan. She holds a business degree from the University of Iowa, a paralegal certificate from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, and an Illinois real estate license. Her work experience includes public accounting and non profit firms, including her most recent position as finance assistant with the Ann Arbor affiliate of Habitat for Humanity. Susan enjoys walking to work from the South Loop neighborhood and the Chicago summers most of all.

Sam Warlick
Messaging and Development Manager
Email: sam@cnu.org
Phone: 312.551.7300 x15

Sam Warlick oversees communications and development for CNU, managing press, online presence, and partner relations. In addition to maintaining CNU’s public face, he advises staff and project teams on messaging and outreach strategy. Before arriving at CNU, Sam worked on smart growth policy and communications in Nashville, TN and Washington, DC. He joined the CNU team in February 2015.

Robert Steuteville
Senior Communications Advisor
Email: rsteuteville@cnu.org

Robert Steuteville is founder and executive director of Better Cities & Towns, a 501c3 nonprofit that seeks to educate and raise awareness for more sustainable and livable communities. Steuteville has been writing, editing, and publishing in the field of New Urbanism since 1996, when he founded New Urban News, a trade publication that covered the trend until 2012, when the name was changed to Better Cities & Towns. He authored or co-authored four editions of New Urbanism: Best Practices Guide, which is used for CNU accreditation. He published the Smart Code Version 9 and Manual. He is leading a team that is writing a form-based code, using the Smart Code as a basis, for the city and town of Ithaca, New York. Steuteville is a signer of the Charter of the New Urbanism, which was unveiled in Charleston, North Carolina, when New Urban News was launched. He participated in the Mississippi Renewal Forum, when new urbanists made plans for 11 communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina. He lives in Ithaca, New York, with his family.

Gary Scott
Associate
Email: gscott@cnu.org
Phone: 312.551.7300

Gary joined CNU in January 2014 as a Membership Assistant. Currently, he is pursuing his Master of Public Administration with a focus in Metropolitan Planning & Urban Affairs at DePaul University. He is in the Chaddick Scholars Program with the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development. He has studied abroad in Curitiba, Brazil and Tours, France as well as traveling to a variety of cities in the United States to study urban planning. Gary holds a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University in education with a minor in French & history. In his spare time, Gary studies genealogy, spends time with his family & friends and enjoys traveling.