Tanya Washington

Biography: Tanya Washington, AICP, is Director of the Prince William County Planning Office for Prince William County, VA, the second largest county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Prior to joining Prince William Planning in February 2024, Ms. Washington (formerly Tanya Stern), served over 5 years in Montgomery County, MD as Deputy Planning Director and Acting Planning Director of the Montgomery County Planning Department. As Acting Director from 2022 to 2023, she led innovative planning services and development review for urbanized, suburban, and rural areas in Maryland's largest county and led Montgomery Planning's team of 150 employees. She also served as Deputy Planning Director for over 4 years overseeing five divisions. During her time at Montgomery Planning, she oversaw the department's development of countywide and area master plans; housing, multi-modal transportation and growth management policies; innovative studies and data analysis on real estate and the economy; preservation of the county’s historic resources; and promotion of design excellence in the county’s architecture and public realm. She was also a key advisor for the creation of Thrive Montgomery 2050, the county's General Plan, and oversaw implementation of Montgomery Planning's Equity in Planning Agenda to make equity a foundational part of the department's work and operations. Previously, Ms. Washington served for 14 years in the Government of the District of Columbia, at the DC Office of Planning as Deputy Director overseeing neighborhood planning and urban design and as Chief of Staff; in the Executive Office of the Mayor; and in other agencies. Additionally, she has 11 years of non-profit sector experience. Ms. Washington holds a master’s in city planning from the University of Pennsylvania and is certified through the American Institute of Certified Planners and as a Certified Public Manager. She is a member of the American Planning Association, Lambda Alpha International and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Ms. Washington serves on ULI Washington’s Governance Committee and is a member of ULI’s Transit-Oriented Development Product Council. She also was the co-founder and co-chair of ULI Washington’s Placemaking Initiative Council for three years; a past co-chair of ULI Washington’s Initiative Council Steering Committee; and a past member of ULI Washington’s Management Committee, Innovation and Technology Local Product Council, Prince George’s County Initiative Council, and Membership Committee.