Our Committee

2023

  • Tanya Vincent - President

    Tanya has practised urban design in government and consultancy roles bridging projects, policy and strategic planning. She writes on urbanism, authored industry reference guides, recently embraced teaching and is a Churchill Fellow. A committed advocate for the profession of urban design, she was a co-founder of the UDA.

  • Diana Griffiths - Vice President

    With 30 years professional experience in architecture, urban planning and urban design, Diana is well known for her detailed understanding of place and her strategic approach to solving complex urban challenges. She is a founding Director of Studio GL, a Registered Planner and a Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA).

  • Frankie Layson - Treasurer

    Accustomed to working and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, Frankie is recognised for his skills in achieving rapid consensus to ensure a project gains momentum and realises its aspirations. Having worked on a number of city shaping projects across NSW, Frankie is well versed in the many challenges we face when planning our urban environments and adopts an evidence based approach to achieve the required outcomes.

  • Gabriela Fernandez

    Gabriela Fernandez - Secretary

    Gabriela is an Urban Designer with over 20 years’ experience delivering places for people through roles in the private and public sectors. She is very excited to be part of the UDA team and assist on the association’s further development. Her key motivations to join the group are the opportunity to educate, collaborate and support each other in the industry.

  • Deena Ridenour - Committee Member

    Deena is an urban design educator, researcher, and practitioner with over 25 years of experience. She leverages her expertise in both industry and government to delivery strategic design outcomes and policy and to inform her teaching as Associate Professor at Sydney University. Through her UDA role, she aims to progress the profession and empower young professionals.

  • Jared Phillips - Committee Member

    Jared is an enthusiastic urban designer and Landscape Architect with experience from both public and private sectors. His proven management and leadership abilities make him a valuable addition to the UDA team, having most recently worked as the Urban Design Manager for a major regional Council. Jared is delighted to be part of a dynamic association where members come from a variety of professional backgrounds.

  • Simina Simaki - Interim Committee Member

    Simina draws from 10 years experience as an urban designer in the public and private sectors, in Australia and overseas, and in regional and urban areas. She aims to further advocacy and education around urban design to help increase recognition and appreciation of our work.