Staff names, contact information, and responsibilities are listed below, and this organizational chart illustrates our agency structure. We welcome hearing from you.
Forward Pinellas has a dedicated professional staff whose roles encompass planning and more.
Upper Management
Whit Blanton, FAICP
Executive Director
Contact
wblanton@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-8712 (Direct)
407-620-5984 (Cell)
About Whit
Whit has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Florida and completed his masters coursework in urban & regional planning at Florida State University. He has served as the Forward Pinellas executive director since 2015. Prior, he had a near 30-year professional career as a private planning consultant, including nearly 16 years as founding principal and vice president of Renaissance Planning Group in Orlando. He has served as president of the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA FL) (2023-2024), director on the national APA governing board (2012-15), and numerous leadership roles for APA at the national and state chapter level. Whit enjoys following baseball, solving puzzles, and wrestling with his black labrador retriever, Ruby.
Rodney Chatman, AICP
Planning Division Manager
Administration of Land Use and Transportation, Human Resources, and Financial Support
Contact
rschatman@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-8214
About Rodney
Rodney holds a master’s degree in urban & regional planning from the University of Florida and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Eckerd College. He is an urban planner with over 20 years of experience leading land use, transportation, and redevelopment initiatives in Florida. As Planning Division Manager for Forward Pinellas, he oversees the Countywide Plan and directs major planning and policy efforts related to target employment, active transportation, resilience, and community revitalization. A persuasive communicator and mentor, he excels in collaborating across sectors to implement innovative and actionable planning solutions. An avid road cyclist, Rodney has cycled over 39,000 miles.
Chelsea Favero, AICP
MPO Division Manager
Administration of Transportation Programs
Contact
cfavero@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-5644
About Chelsea
Chelsea has a bachelor’s degree in international relations and global affairs from Eckerd College. She started with the county as an intern in 2005. Then, in 2010, was promoted to a position focused on transportation planning and now manages the agency’s MPO/transportation division. Chelsea spent her full junior year of high school in Germany on foreign exchange and is now fluent in German.
Administration & Operations
Tina Jablon
Executive Administrative Secretary
Administrative Support to Executive Director, Staff, Planners Advisory Committee, Board, and Countywide Planning Authority
Contact
tmjablon@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-5307
About Tina
Tina has a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Her professional career has taken her through a diverse range of roles, beginning as a medical assistant and later moving into medical sales. After spending 13 years at home raising her children, she reentered the workforce through a temporary staffing agency which ultimately led her to a career in government work. Tina was a girl scout for 12 years and still love the outdoors and tent camping.
Maria Kelly
Secretary
Administrative Support to Staff, Advisory Committees, and Forward Pinellas Board
Contact
mkelly@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-5648
About Maria
Maria holds a master’s degree in business administration and bachelor’s degree in psychology. As secretary for Forward Pinellas, Maria takes pride in being dependable, helpful, and working well with others. She loves ballroom dancing, baseball, and spending time with her nine grandchildren.
Communications
Dana L. Santos
Communications and Outreach Specialist
Communication Program Management, Community Engagement, Website and Social Media
Contact
dsantos@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-8355
About Dana
Dana holds dual master’s degrees in public health and medical anthropology from the University of South Florida and bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Eastern Kentucky University. With over a decade of experience in strategic communications and public outreach, her work has bridged academic, research, and local government settings. Her favorite movie(s) is the Lord of the Rings.
Financial
Rebecca Stysly
Accounting and Finance Manager
Grants Management and Financial Support
Contact
rstysly@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-5655
About Rebecca
Rebecca attended the University of West Florida where she studied Finance. She has been with Forward Pinellas for 10 years. She is a cat lover and enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and cheering on the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Cris Smith
Accounting Services Coordinator
Accounting, Bookkeeping, Payroll and Human Resources Support
Contact
crrsmith@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-8225
About Cris
Cris has 20 years of hands-on experience in government finance. She has served in finance roles with the Clerk’s Office, the Board of County Commissioners, and Forward Pinellas. Family is important to Cris and she is proud to share a legacy of public service—Her son participated in Bring Your Kid to Work Day 19 years ago and is now a seasoned Pinellas County employee.
Madison Rushe
Accounting Services Coordinator
Accounting, Bookkeeping, Payroll and Human Resources Support
Contact
mrushe@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-8222
About Madison
Madison attended both St. Petersburg College and the University of Florida. Her professional background includes management, human resources, payroll administration, and accounting. Before joining Forward Pinellas, she served as an Assistant Director at a Continuing Care Retirement Community. She enjoys boating, being outdoors, and spending time with friends and family.
Multimodal Planning
Linda Fisher, AICP
Executive Planner
Countywide Plan Administration, Local Government Assistance, Intergovernmental Coordination, Planners Advisory Committee
Contact
lfisher@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-8220
About Linda
Linda has a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from FSU and bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology from Ursinus College. She has been a long-range land use planner for nearly 30 years. In her spare time, she rescues stray cats.
Nousheen Rahman, AICP
Principal Planner
Land Use and Transportation Coordination, Transit Coordination, Special Projects, Local Government Assistance, Grants & Partnerships
Contact
nrahman@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-5693
About Nousheen
Nousheen has a master’s degree in geography and a bachelor’s degree in environmental science & policy from the University of South Florida. She has been a planner since 2020, with experience making projects that intersect land use, transportation, and economic development. Nousheen is fluent in Bangla.
Valerie Brookens
Principal Planner
Transportation Safety Initiatives, Safe Streets Pinellas Implementation, School Transportation Safety Committee
Contact
vbrookens@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-5653
About Valerie
Valerie received her master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Florida State University and bachelor’s degree in human development from California State University – Long Beach. Valerie has a diverse background in planning including working in comprehensive and community planning with the State of Florida, the City of Largo and Pasco County, as well as working with non-profits in affordable housing. Valerie grew up working on her family farm and showing cattle at the county fair which greatly impacted her love of family, community, nature and animals.
Nicole Galasso, AICP
Principal Planner
Land Use and Transportation Coordination, Special Projects, Corridor Planning, Intergovernmental Coordination, Local Government Assistance, Grants & Partnerships
Contact
ngalasso@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-5643
About Nicole
Nicole holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Florida State University and bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg. Since 2020, her experience in the planning profession has focused on providing support and technical assistance to local governments on land development code amendments, special area plans, corridor visioning, and public outreach. Before becoming an urban planner, she taught middle school math for three years and is currently an advanced certified scuba diver!
Kyle Simpson, AICP
Active Transportation Planner
Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning, Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Pinellas Trail Security Task Force
Contact
ksimpson@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-5580
About Kyle
Kyle holds a master’s degree in regional planning from the University at Albany and bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Central Florida. He previously worked for the City of St. Petersburg, where he assisted with transportation elements of the site plan review process and development of transportation plans and programs. Kyle has rode his bicycle from Seaside, Oregon, to Coney Island, New York, biking through 11 states over a 3,600-mile, 55-day journey.
Robert Feigel
Program Planner
Transportation Alternatives Program, Citizens Advisory Committee, Local Coordinating Board
Contact
rfeigel@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-5645
About Rob
Rob holds a Masters of Public Administration (M.P.A.) and Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from Michael E. Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He has more than two decades of experience with Pinellas County government with the County Attorney’s Office, Planning Department, Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and Forward Pinellas. He is a Persian Gulf War era veteran.
Emma Wennick
Program Planner
Countywide Plan Administration, Local Government Assistance, Intergovernmental Coordination, Planners Advisory Committee
Contact
ewennick@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-5679
About Emma
Emma has a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and Wildlife Conservation from the University of Delaware. She works on countywide land use planning and special planning initiatives. She is PADI Open Water certified and has completed more than 100 scuba dives.
Kaitlyn Nieman
Planner
Crash Data Management, Transportation Data Analytics and Mapping, Traffic Counts
Contact
knieman@forwardpinellas.org
727-464-5695
About Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn graduated from the University of South Florida with a master’s degree in urban and regional planning and graduate certificates in community development and coastal resiliency. Kaitlyn started with Forward Pinellas as a USF Master of Urban and Regional Planning Fellow. She has been awarded as an Outstanding Student Planner by the American Planning Association (2025).
Ryan Hutton
Transportation Planner
Long-Range Transportation Plan, Transportation Improvement Program, Transportation Data Analysis
About Ryan
Ryan has a master’s degree in city planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in land use and environmental planning, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography from Rutgers University. He has worked in GIS and planning roles with the National Park Service, gaining experience in transportation, environmental planning, and geospatial analysis. Ryan enjoys making music, attending concerts, and exploring Tampa Bay by paddleboard.