Daily Designer WGI, Inc.

For episode three of the Daily Designer podcast, we get to know Courtney Powell, WGI's Urban and Community Planning Manager. Courtney is based out of WGI’s Arlington, Virginia office, where she helps lead our public work initiatives and expand WGI’s regional presence.
From a young age, it came as no surprise that Courtney’s love for cities would help her to become a diligent planner. Courtney breaks down her childhood growing up in various states and countries, which gave her a rounded understanding of what makes a city special.
In terms of her career path, Courtney first started in the public sector, where she learned the systems in place to guide development from start to finish. Later in her career, she decided to join the private sector here at WGI, but after working as a planner for a few years, life took her to Greenville, South Carolina, where her skillset and professionalism helped her grow into the role of Planning Administrator. Eventually, Courtney found her way to Arlington, Virginia, where circumstance and luck brought her back to the WGI team once again!
This episode goes on to break down some of her lessons learned and passions developed during her career and how her experience working for both the public and private sectors shaped her perfectly for the position she is in today.
If you’d like to hear from a planner’s perspective about what makes cities wonderful, plus a couple of interesting stories along the way, then listen to episode three of the Daily Designer now!

In the second episode of the Daily Designer Podcast, our host, Erica Guertin, sits down with Ben Valente, an Urban Planner located in WGI’s Arlington, VA office.
For the first 22 years of his life, Ben's roots were based in the heart of Central Florida, growing up in the charming, historic city of Sanford. He then migrated to South Florida, where he attended college at Florida Atlantic University and obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Urban Design.
For most of his life, Ben aspired to become an Architect, with his appreciation for architecture stemming from his love of the urban realm and his time spent living in Germany. However, while pursuing his architecture degree and double majoring in Urban Design at FAU, the COVID-19 pandemic came underway. As a result, Ben's in-person studio experience was quickly stripped away, forcing him to move his model-making activities to his dorm room. During this time, Ben decided to focus solely on Urban Design which was a facet of his coursework he drew a natural enjoyment from, ultimately helping him to pursue a more sustainable path to success.
After graduation, Ben decided to test his dexterity by joining WGI’s West Palm Beach, FL, office as a Design Intern for our Private Land Development group. During this time, Ben utilized all available opportunities to try different facets of planning, ultimately guiding him to becoming a pivotal part of the Urban and Community Planning team at WGI.
With the help and support of his team and a few years of experience under his belt, Ben relinquished his “Florida Boy” title and made the trek up north to Arlington, VA, to live, work, and play in a region that matched his pedestrian-oriented lifestyle. In just a few short years, Ben has been able to exercise his creativity while interacting with the community to help successfully reshape cities on a multitude of projects.
To learn more about Ben and his journey in Urban Planning, tune into Episode 2 of the Daily Designer today!

In this inaugural episode of WGI’s new podcast, the Daily Designer, our host Erica Guertin talks with Andrew Crozier, a Senior Urban Designer based out of WGI’s headquarters in West Palm Beach, FL.
Growing up in the rural farm town of Ada, Ohio (which he describes as having a “Children of the Corn vibe”) is what initially fostered Andrew’s love for cities. He attended Ohio State University, and after five years and one short semester as a civil engineering major, Andrew graduated with a double major in Graphic Design and History with a concentration in GIS/Geography. Towards the end of his undergraduate career, Andrew discovered the planning profession– a place where his “odd-ball” combination of majors and minors could thrive within what he calls the “Breakfast Club.”
Andrew’s experiences as a planner have taken him from Ohio to England, Pittsburgh to Japan, and Germany to Ghana. Prior to working for WGI, Andrew worked in the public sector as a planning assistant and in military planning to create master plans for Naval Bases across the East Coast and with the European Defense Initiative.
After applying to a laundry list of jobs, Andrew found his place here with us at WGI, where he quickly became a pivotal part of the Urban + Community Planning team. Within the West Palm Beach office, Andrew is known for his great sense of humor, his creativity, and his resourcefulness.
He credits trust from his manager and team, as well as the wide array of interesting projects he's been able to work on here at WGI, for helping build his confidence, experience, and skills.
Go listen to the first episode of Daily Designer now to hear Andrew’s tips for overcoming imposter syndrome, great conversation about the Sims and Spirit Airlines, and a story about what happened when a group of Ghanaian children saw a six-foot-tall ginger man for the first time. You don’t want to miss it!