Kelsey Bousquet joined the Planning Services team in April.

Kelsey grew up in Houston, Texas and moved to Birmingham, Alabama for her undergraduate studies. While at Birmingham-Southern College, Kelsey majored in urban environmental studies. One of the formative classes Kelsey cites from her undergraduate years is Sustainability in Southern Cities, which aligned with her own experience of growing up in Houston, a city with no standard zoning laws. Her hometown’s sometimes chaotic development patterns inspired Kelsey to pursue a career in planning.

After finishing her undergraduate program, Kelsey worked in telecommunications zoning and regulations, a job which allowed her to work with different municipalities and learn how zoning and regulations work in different places. 

She then continued her education at Auburn University, where she got her master’s degree in community planning. 

Kelsey joined our agency after graduating from her master’s program. She felt drawn to Knoxville because her partner, a current math PhD candidate at the University of Tennessee, was already living here; however, Kelsey also describes Knoxville as great city to begin a career in planning. She appreciates the balance between maintaining current development and pushing for greater and more sustainable development. 

Kelsey’s work in telecommunications has already proven useful in her time at the office. In her work with the Tennessee Technology Corridor Development Authority and rezoning cases, Kelsey has used her previous experience to help navigate the different regulations between the city and county.

Since joining the office, Kelsey has settled in well. As an avid reader, she quickly found her favorite reading spot: the couch by the window on the fifth floor. Another perk of working downtown, she has discovered, is the proximity to her favorite restaurant, Yassin’s Falafel House, and her favorite boba shop, Hello Tea House.

When she’s not in the office, Kelsey explores the many beautiful greenways and parks Knoxville has to offer, often with her dog, Peaches, by her side.

Jonah Bird joined the Knoxville Regional TPO as a planner in July.

Jonah grew up on Signal Mountain in Chattanooga. He spent much of his childhood building Legos and running through the trails and wooded areas near his home. The former he credits with his interest in architecture and design. 

Jonah attended Vanderbilt University for his undergraduate degree, where he initially studied engineering before switching to architecture. While he was a student, his passion for running continued through his participation on the track and field team.

Jonah decided to continue both his studies and his running career after finishing his bachelor’s degree. He moved to Boone, North Carolina to begin his master’s degree in geography with a focus in planning at Appalachian State University. 

During his master’s program, Jonah interned with the Tennessee Department of Transportation in the multimodal planning office. This internship laid the foundation for his current position with the TPO, and he’s been able to maintain professional communications with many of the people he worked with at TDOT. 

Since joining our agency, Jonah has continued to work on multimodal planning by focusing his efforts on Smart Tips and transit programs. As he settles more into his role, Jonah is excited to learn from the people around him and he looks forward to seeing the multimodal options in the Knoxville region continue to expand.  

While he’s in the office, Jonah enjoys working with maps and crash data, as well as taking advantage of the varieties of teas stocked in the break room. In his free time, you might find him running or exploring downtown and south Knoxville. He also makes time to work on his graphic design skills and perfect his at-home espresso setup. 

Kelsey and Jonah have quickly become vital members of their teams, and we are grateful to have them in the office!