Board & Staff

Board of Directors

DAVID GIBSON
Principal, Two Twelve Associates

As co-founder and managing principal of Two Twelve Associates, David’s dedication to delivering thoughtful, user-centered design established the firm’s reputation as the first advocate of “public information design,” the planning and presentation of complex information to diverse audiences. David’s leadership on projects for the Chicago Park District, the Partnership for Downtown Baltimore, the City of Charlotte, and Sound Transit in Washington State are just a few examples of his commitment to making the public his most important client.

David began his career with the Ontario Ministry of National Resources, in his native Canada. He studied architecture at Cornell University, attended the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and received an MFA in graphic design from Yale University. He is a past president and board member of the Society for Environmental Graphic Design, and recently completed his term on the AIGA national board. He is author of The Wayfinding Handbook: Information Design for Public Places, published by Princeton Architectural Press in 2009.

DEBORAH MARTON
Senior Vice President for Programs, New York Restoration Project

Deborah has dedicated her career to the development of pragmatic, design-oriented approaches to municipal issues. She currently directs programs for the New York Restoration Project, an nonprofit dedicated to reclaiming and restoring New York City parks, community gardens, and open space. Previously, as director of the Design Trust for Public Space, she brought her expertise in urban systems to bear on an acclaimed series of public/private partnerships between New York City agencies, community organizations, and private-sector urban designers.

Deborah has also served as program manager of the New York City Department of Parks’ Natural Resources Group and later associated with the landscape architecture firm Field Operations, where she served as project manager for the Fresh Kills Master Plan. She received a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the Harvard University Design School and also holds a J.D. from New York University School of Law.

CHELSEA MAULDIN
Executive Director, Public Policy Lab

As director of the Public Policy Lab, Chelsea works with public agencies to identify service-design challenges, then assembles teams that translate complex policy considerations into pragmatic, replicable solutions through research, prototyping, testing, and documentation. Prior to the launch of PPL, Chelsea led urban-design and economic-development initiatives as director of the Montague Street BID. Previously, as deputy director of the Design Trust for Public Space, she oversaw strategic design-policy projects with New York City agencies. She received her MSc in city design and social science from the London School of Economics and her BA in English and social science from the University of California at Berkeley.

Chelsea maintains a consulting practice, Mauldin Content, which offers planning and communications assistance to a range of public-sector clients. Recent projects include evaluations of Medicare communications for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; redesign of beneficiary explanation-of-benefits forms, also for Medicare; content consulting for the New York City Department of Transportation’s Street Design Manual; and executive editorial direction for 21st Century Parks for NYC, the acclaimed guidelines developed for the NYC Parks Department.

Our Inspiration

SYLVIA HARRIS

Sylvia Harris was a 25-year champion of good design for the public and a founding member of the Public Policy Lab’s board of directors. She passed away in 2011, soon after our launch, but she remains a vital inspiration for the work of this organization.

Sylvia specialized in creating accessible communications for mass audiences. As founder and principal of Citizen Research & Design, she guided the nation’s largest hospitals, universities, and civic agencies through processes that included strategic planning, policy development, and innovation management. Sylvia was a member of the U.S. Postal Service Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee and served on the advisory committee of the New York City Department of Transportation. A popular educator and lecturer, she taught at Yale University, The School of Visual Arts, and The Cooper Union. She received her MFA from Yale in 1980 and a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1975. The Citizen R&D site has more about Sylvia’s work and legacy.