Candidate Statement: Genevieve Middleton

Genevieve Middleton, is an Indigenous relative, urban planner, local government housing policy manager, landscape designer, and advocate. They are the principal of Indigenized Planning Solutions, offering equity trainings, audits and community engagement using an Indigenous lens. Genevieve hopes to inspire a changed narrative for the future by promoting equitable policy and urban design that empower Black, Indigenous and Communities of Color. Genevieve also works as the Affordable Housing Policy & Planning Manager in Community Development for the City of Eugene, overseeing the Housing and Human Services Team while utilizing a racial equity and access lens throughout their work.

As citizens of the Navajo Nation, Genevieve and three generations of their family recognize that they are Indigenous guests on Kalapuya Ilihi (Eugene). They extend their respect and gratitude to the past, present, and future stewards of this place.

Genevieve is a double Duck, with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Master of Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon. Between degrees, they lived in Mendocino County California, learning Traditional Ecological Knowledge and working as a nutrition educator. Working with Native populations through their career as an educator on the Round Valley Indian Reservation, Genevieve cultivated a passion to improve the paradigm of Native American health, wealth and housing disparities as a direct result of harmful federal, state, and local government policies. With lived experience, she began her lifelong research on Housing Policy and Intergovernmental Tribal Relations.

Genevieve recognizes that today's housing crisis is a planning topic that intersects with nearly every planning field from historic to contemporary. Their time as an OAPA Board Member At Large will contribute to furthering Affordable Housing advocacy topics as intersected with Racial Equity, Sustainability/Climate Change, Land Use Planning, and Transportation amongst others.