Planning Commission Members
Denyse “Nia” Bagley, Chair
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Nia is a 30-year resident of Historic Monroe Courts (1938 rowhouses) in Virginia Square where she maintains a Certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat. Her godchild Emily was born and raised in the house next door and attended Taylor, Swanson, and W-L. Nia was born in Buffalo and raised in Michigan. As a child, Nia’s parents were actively involved in the community and inspired her to ‘make a difference’. She served four terms as president of the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association, one term as its vice-president, and six terms as its treasurer. Before getting involved with BVSCA, she and a small group of volunteers organized SaveQuincyPark.org to preserve Arlington’s ‘central’ park when it was threatened by a proposal to build a new high school on the site. She is a life member of the University of Michigan Alumni Club (she is a second generation grad; her parents met there) as well as the University of Michigan Alumni Marching Band (clarinet). She pursued post-graduate work in public relations at The American University. Nia currently manages the Arlington office of a large residential real estate company (after serving many years as its regional marketing for D.C., Maryland and Virginia) and is licensed in Virginia and Maryland.
Reappointment: July 18, 2023
Appointment Term Ends: July 31, 2027
Karen Guevara, Vice-Chair
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Karen Guevara was appointed to the Arlington County Planning Commission in 2023. She grew up in Arlington and graduated from Wakefield High School. Having resided in Arlington for many years, she has seen considerable changes in the county’s approach to commercial and residential development. Karen is actively involved in her community and recently served as Vice President of the Leeway-Overlee Civic Association.
Ms. Guevara is an international security and foreign affairs practitioner. With a diverse career in government, nonprofits, and the private sector, Ms. Guevara has spearheaded capacity building programs around the world. Her experience includes overseeing a law enforcement reform programs in Bamako, Mali; United Nations Peacekeeping program in Fiji; and conceptualized capacity building programs for the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Mexico, and Kenya, among other countries. Karen completed her academic studies at both Georgetown University and the University of Oxford.
Appointment: April 25, 2023
Appointment Term Ends: April 30, 2027
Commission Members
Paola Amodeo
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Appointed to the Arlington County Planning Commission in 2025. Paola Amodeo is the founder and principal of Paola One Design (P.O.D.), a SWaM-certified architecture studio based in Arlington. A native of Italy, she lived in Japan for two years, where she earned a tea ceremony license and developed an appreciation for simplicity and spatial balance that continues to influence her work. She earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architecture from the University of Michigan and began her career with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works before joining a boutique studio in Venice, California.
She moved to Arlington in 2008, and has since led local projects recognized for sustainability and design, including Arlington’s first Green Home Choice–certified remodeled home and the AIA-NOVA Kitty Herlong Award–winning Arlington Independent Media Radio Station.
She and her husband, a professor at the George Mason University Law School, have raised their two sons in Arlington Public Schools and are deeply engaged in the community.
Appointment: September 13, 2025
Appointment Term Ends: September 30, 2029
Eric Berkey
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Originally from the Cleveland area, Eric Berkey moved to Arlington in 2007. Before his appointment to the Planning Commission in 2023, he served on the Housing Commission for seven years, including serving as Chair from 2020 to 2022. He also served on the Douglas Park Civic Association Executive Board, including two terms as President, during which time he led the update to the civic association’s Neighborhood Plan. Additionally, he served on the South Arlington Working Group for a new Elementary School (Alice West Fleet Elementary) and the Civic Federation Board of Directors.
Eric holds a JD from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law and a BS in political science and journalism from Miami University. Eric has lived in Douglas Park since 2012 with his wife Rachel and their three children.
Appointment: May 16, 2023
Appointment Term Ends: May 31, 2027
Kateri Garcia
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Kateri Garcia was appointed to the Planning Commission in 2025. Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, she has resided in Arlington since 2017. A mother of two and a dedicated community advocate, Kateri is passionate about civic engagement. She currently serves as President of the Arlington Ridge Civic Association (ARCA) and is a member of the Arlington Public Schools Advisory Council on School Facilities and Capital Programs (FAC). She also previously co-chaired the Livability22202 Schools Working Group.
In her professional career, Kateri leads the development of future capability requirements for the federal government, following previous roles at U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Embassy Bogotá. She holds a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies from the University of New Mexico, and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering & Management Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Northwestern University. A David L. Boren Fellow, Ms. Garcia also studied in Chile and Uruguay during her academic tenure.
Appointment: December 13, 2025
Appointment Term Ends: December 30, 2029
James Lantelme
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Jim Lantelme and his wife are 30-year residents of Arlington. He has watched the Clarendon area adjacent to his neighborhood change from used car lots and Sears to the current mix of stores, restaurants, offices and apartments. Their daughter attended Arlington Public Schools and was in the neighborhood 4th of July parade every year. Jim is a native New Yorker and holds a J.D from Georgetown University and a Master of City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a former president of the Lyon Village Citizens Association and was active in the Arlington County Civic Federation.
Reappointment: February 25, 2025
Appointment Term Ends: February 25, 2029
Devanshi P. Patel
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Devanshi Patel was appointed to the Planning Commission in 2019. She is a native Arlingtonian and graduated from the Arlington Public School system. Devanshi earned her B.A. in Government and International Politics from George Mason University and her Juris Doctor from the Howard University School of Law (HUSL). Devanshi has co-founded both a law firm and a non-profit in Arlington County. Devanshi also serves as an adjunct professor at the Howard University School of Law. Devanshi's professional work focuses on creating community conditions necessary for all youth and families to thrive.
Devanshi has served on a number of commissions, boards, and groups, including the Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth, and Families, Police Practices Group, Joint Facilities Advisory Commission, the Whole Child Working Group, and Community Advancing Resilience and Readiness Together. Devanshi previously served a term as the Vice President of the John M. Langston Civic Association and was a facilitator for the County’s 2018 “Big Ideas” roundtables.
Reappointment: January 31, 2023
Term Ends: January 31, 2027
Tenley Peterson
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Tenley Peterson was appointed to the Planning Commission in 2019. She lives in the Court House neighborhood with her husband and three children. Previously, Tenley served on Arlington County’s Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission for eight years, 3.5 of which she chaired the commission. Additionally, she was an appointee to Arlington County’s Audit Committee, acted as moderator for Arlington’s FY2020 budget town hall meeting, and was a facilitator for the County’s 2018 “Big Ideas” roundtables. Tenley is a senior strategist at a local digital marketing agency. She grew up in Massachusetts and has lived and/or worked in Singapore, China, Australia, and London. She graduated summa cum laude from Bryant University with a bachelors in business administration. She graduated with a masters in Asian studies from the University of Hawaii.
Reappointment: July 18, 2023
Appointment Term Ends: July 31, 2027
Peter Robertson
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Peter Robertson was appointed to the Planning Commission in 2023. He previously served for more than seven years as a member of the County's Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission, the last two years as its Chairman. During his more than 40 years in the national capital area, Peter has has served in both the federal legislative and executive branches, in the non-profit sector and in the private sector. Peter served during the Clinton Administration at the US Environmental Protection Agency, first as chief of staff to Administrator Carol Browner, and then as Deputy Administrator. In prior government service, he worked for seven years on Capitol Hill, including service on the Committee on the Budget in the House of Representatives. More recently, Peter was senior vice president in a corporation and previously served as the Senior Vice President for Legislative and Regulatory Affairs at a trade association of independent natural gas producers. Peter also served as a member of the County's Public Spaces Master Plan Implementation Advisory Committee, the Stormwater Utility Community Advisory Group, and the Water Pollution Control Plant Solids Master Plan Advisory Committee.
Appointment: June 13, 2023
Appointment Term Ends: June 30, 2027
Sara Steinberger
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Sara Steinberger (Shapiro) was appointed to the Planning Commission in 2019 and has served on the Arlington Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) since 2016. She was recently the Vice Chair of the Arlington County World War I Commemoration Task Force which completed its service in December 2018. Sara holds a JD from Temple University Beasley School of Law and earned her BA in political science and classical studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Sara and her husband, Jared, have lived in the Ballston neighborhood since 2014. Sara previously lived in the Courthouse neighborhood.
In her day job, Sara manages a portfolio of contracts for a large government contractor based in northern Virginia.
Reappointment: January 31, 2023
Term Ends: January 31, 2027
Tony Striner
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Tony Striner was appointed to the Arlington County Planning Commission in 2023. He is employed at the Government of District of Columbia in an agency budget office. In this work, he manages a large portion of the District’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and works extensively with urban planners, engineers and project managers to execute the district’s city-wide planning initiatives. Additionally, Tony earned his master's degree in public policy from George Mason University, right here in Arlington County at the Mason Square Campus. During his time at George Mason, Tony completed projects related to regional transportation operations, public finance and large-scale energy infrastructure projects.
Tony has lived all over the United States. From Virginia to Florida to Arizona and a few other states in between, Tony has seen how different cities and towns have developed over the course of his lifetime and he can bring this unique perspective to Arlington. In his time in Arlington, Tony has been a resident of the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights and Crystal City neighborhoods.
Appointment: May 16, 2023
Appointment Term Ends: May 31, 2027
Adriana Torres
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Adriana Torres was appointed to the Arlington County Planning Commission in 2025. Originally from La Paz, Bolivia, she moved to Arlington in 1990 and is a proud graduate of Arlington Public Schools, including Kenmore Middle School and Yorktown High School. From a young age, Adriana was actively engaged in community programs such as Harvey Hall, Teen Connection, and the Teen Photo Project, experiences that nurtured her leadership skills and deepened her connection to the community.
Adriana holds a Master of Architecture degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. She is a skilled architectural designer and the founder of a design consulting practice, as well as the co-owner of a restaurant and hair salon on Columbia Pike. In addition to her professional work, she serves on the boards of the Skyline House Furniture and Decor Committee and The Shirlington Employment and Education Center. She has also volunteered with The Dream Project and the Latino Youth Leadership Conference and is currently a member of the Leadership Arlington Class of 2026.
Appointment: September 13, 2025
Appointment Term Ends: September 30, 2029
Cicely Whitfield
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Appointment: December 13, 2025
Appointment Term Ends: December 30, 2029