CRYSTAL WINSTON

Founder + Executive Director

EDUCATION

Jun. 2009 | Master of Urban Planning (International Development)

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Jan. 2007 | Bachelor of Arts (Major: Architectural History, Citation: Spanish Language)

Harvard College

LANGUAGES

English (Native) | Spanish (Advanced) | French (Basic) | Hiligaynon (Basic) | Swahili (Intermediate)

PROFESSIONAL URBAN DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

Maldives - Philippines - Kazakhstan - South Korea - Thailand - Bangladesh - India - Pakistan - Saudi Arabia - Cape Verde  - Libya - Kenya - Uganda - South Sudan - Curacao - Mexico - Honduras - Belgium - Spain - Bosnia and Herzegovina  - United States

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Dec 18 – May 19 Program Management Officer (P3) – Human Settlements (Temporary Appointment until May 19)

UN-Habitat, United Nations (Kenya)

Draft the global implementation guidelines for the New Urban Agenda; Analyze urban development issues at the global, regional and national levels; Undertake empirical research and analysis of trends, developments, and related policy issues relevant to the unit /departmental mandate, including urbanization, urban economics, spatial development, local economic development and regional planning; Support intergovernmental processes dealing with urban development issues by preparing inputs for reports to intergovernmental bodies and processes; Research, analyze and present urban and human settlements information gathered from diverse sources; Contributes to the preparation of the Quadrennial Report on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and other internationally agreed goals and targets relevant to sustainable urbanization and human settlements i.e. the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Addis Ababa Plan of Action; Prepare/contribute to various written reports, documents, write reports or sections of reports, case studies, background papers relating to internationally agreed goals and targets relevant to sustainable urbanization and human settlements; Contribute to the preparation and revision of the guidelines for reporting on internationally agreed goals and targets relevant to sustainable urbanization; Provide technical assistance to Member States on the preparation of national reports on internationally agreed goals and targets relevant to sustainable urbanization settlements; Review, revise, summarize and edit country reports on internationally agreed goals and targets relevant to sustainable urbanization; Work with key partners, governments, local authorities, including global research networks on topics relating to sustainable urbanization; Assist in the planning, organizing and servicing of expert group and technical meetings, policy dialogues, development seminars; Undertake outreach activities; conducts training workshops, seminars, etc.; Make presentations on assigned topics/activities; Participate in or lead field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties and draft mission summaries, etc.

Oct 17 – Jan 18 Town Planning Consultant – Greater Male’ Development Strategy

Asian Development Bank (United States/Maldives)

Worked with international and national consultants in preparing, writing, and presenting the interim and final report and presentation to disseminate the findings, policy recommendations, and urban development strategy to the government of Maldives; Conducted consultations with stakeholders (national-level ministers, department heads, etc.) and team and review existing land use in the seven islands of the Greater Male’ Region using existing GIS maps and data; Generated analysis-based recommendations and spatial planning for future land use requirements (housing, industrial, etc.), redevelopment of existing developed areas, land size requirement and potential location of infrastructure with the goal of developing a modern and balanced urban region; Created GIS maps and database of existing conditions by gathering, analyzing, and representing pertinent data and integrating information from many sources including satellite imagery; Conducted three missions to the Maldives for data collection, verification, and stakeholder engagement; Developed future projections and multiple phased development scenarios under different strategies for each island and the region as a whole; Held consultations with stakeholders and team members to present recommendations and findings for feedback

Sep 16 – Apr 17 Land Use Expert – Municipality of San Dionisio, Iloilo Province, Philippines

U.S. Peace Corps Response Volunteer (Philippines)

Serve as technical advisor to the Local Government Unit (LGU) to implement the national framework for the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP); Lead interactive, stakeholder workshops; Provide technical assistance and capacity building to local staff; Create and manage a GIS base map and database

May 11 – Oct 17 Senior Planner/Site Acquisition Planning Program Lead (GS-14)

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (United States)

Manage the site acquisition planning program representing approximately 70% of the parent Division’s workload and $100M in global land acquisitions annually; Recommend the multi-million-dollar location of and investment into diplomatic facilities based on my in depth urban development research; use GIS, 3D modeling, Excel, and presentations to communicate complex ideas to a wide audience; Effectively lead and manage large, complex, interdisciplinary projects and teams

Sep. 09 – May 11 Presidential Management Fellow (GS-11)

U.S. General Services Administration, Office of the Associate Administrator (United States)

Selected for the competitive civil service fellowship after passing an exam and interview; Reviewed and participated in programming, planning, budget, and execution; Created talking points, briefings, presentations, memos, reports, and project plans for senior leaders; Drafted and reviewed policy documents; Established and maintained multiple official social media accounts; Analyzed legislation for impact on programs and processes

Jun. – Dec. 08 Inclusionary Housing Policy Intern

Housing Division, City of Somerville (United States)

Analyzed existing affordable housing ordinances; Researched leading affordable housing practices; Conducted interviews, economic and demographic data analysis; Developed recommendations to improve availability of affordable housing; Conducted parcel-by-parcel land use verification and survey; Presented research and recommendations to stakeholders

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

2019 Founder, Black Women in Development-Nairobi Chapter

Manage a network of 250+ women who are active in international development and/or entrepreneurship; Facilitate and keynote events; Organize events; Design and administer membership survey; Administer and manage an online and in person community.

2018 Writer, Chiang Mai Citylife Magazine

Write articles for publication in Northern Thailand’s most popular magazine; edit articles in translated to English from Thai; conduct interviews and secondary research; fact-checking draft articles by other writers; live-stream and live-tweet events to Magazine’s social media account; manage the publication’s social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) including comment moderation; attend and cover representational events by diplomatic representatives.

2015 Writer, GovLoop Featured Blogger, GovLoop.com (https://www.govloop.com/author/crystalwinston-2/) – Contributed leadership, governance, and public management articles to a leading governance innovation hub

2015 Speaker, Master Planning in Sustainable Urban Context, International Visitor Leader Program (Brazil), U.S. Dept. of State – Met with Brazilian leaders in local and national infrastructure for high-level discussion on sustainable planning

2014 Panelist, Alumni Career Panel, Harvard University Graduate School of Design – Provided career advice and guidance to Harvard Master’s Degree candidates in Urban Planning

2013-14 Guest Lecturer, Introduction to Master Planning and Evaluation, Foreign Service Institute – Teach overview class on master planning American diplomatic campuses around the world

2013-14 Speaker, Planning Careers Day, Harvard University Graduate School of Design – Presented information on careers in urban planning to Harvard University graduate students

2013 Speaker, The Many Faces and Phases of Planning, American Planning Association – Presented personal career path to urban planner audience at the National Headquarters