Sam Tedford joined ECONorthwest as a Project Manager in 2022. Sam previously served as a Principal Planner in Inclusive Planning at the City of Austin’s Housing and Planning Department focused on housing policy, planning, and research working to make a positive, equitable impact. They are a versatile communicator and educator who can relate complex planning concepts, historical context, and data-informed trends to a broad audience. Their skills in data analytics serve to weave together demographic and development-related data with lived experiences and historical context to demonstrate disparate impacts and center racial equity. They have talent as an effective connector between city government and community members, between planning and housing, as well as between data and storytelling.
Sam is committed to disrupting systemic inequities and working towards racial justice in the communities they serve, and they strive to build relationships with those impacted by the plans and policies they shape. Sam has been developing and growing their equity analysis while working alongside community organizations for the past eight years. Sam also has over six years of experience working in local government on policy, planning, and research initiatives at various scales and with different focuses. Sam has developed workshops and facilitated training for a range of audiences around the history of race and planning.
Sam specializes in housing policy, inclusive planning, and racial equity.