As Executive Director of Community Design Fort Worth, Ann Zadeh serves her community by educating and advocating for urban design and planning issues, without the added constraint of representing a specific constituency as she did in her former role as a city council member.
The nonprofit was founded in 2016 by a group of City of Fort Worth employees, community members, and design professionals who identified a gap in the services the city was able to provide. They partner with students and professors from the University of North Texas at Arlington (UTA) whose projects align with their work.
On Monday mornings, you'll also find her co-hosting the "817 Podcast." During the first fifteen minutes of a recent episode, she tackled the benefits of Public Improvement Districts (PID), declining enrollment in public schools, and the challenges of solving cold murder cases. Fairly easy topics for the urban planner, zoning commissioner, and former city council member turned nonprofit executive!
Childhood Lessons: The Importance of Consensus and Community Engagement
Being raised at a Quaker boarding school in Northern California helped shape her approach to community engagement and decision-making. Quakers make all decisions by coming to a consensus, which means that everyone gets together in a room and hashes through whatever decision is being made until everyone agrees on the path forward.
"Consensus doesn’t mean taking a vote and if enough people overpower and outvote the minority, you can march on your merry way without the input of the smaller group. Consensus requires that everyone agrees on the path forward."
Ann believes this approach taught her the importance of being involved in your community. "I believe that led me to be someone who was very engaged in every community that I've ever lived in, be it a college community, or later a neighborhood community," she said.
Community Engagement in City Planning
During her seven years of service as a city council member, she was a staunch advocate for community engagement in city planning. She continues to believe that citizens should have a say in the decisions that affect their daily lives and that cities should actively seek out feedback from their residents.
According to her, "Citizens should be able to know where to go to answer questions, be involved, and give their feedback." She emphasizes the importance of engaging with communities and starting conversations about the struggles or things that impact them.
"Getting input from the community, not to have them design the road, or try to make everybody a transportation engineer or planner, but just asking, what is the struggle that you face? What would you like to see happen in this community?"
She also suggests that when cities ask for feedback, they include a return loop to reflect by going back to the community with a plan and asking if it addresses the concerns brought up during the initial conversations. By involving citizens in the planning process, she feels cities can ensure that their decisions are informed by the real needs and concerns of their neighbors.
The Need to Expand Community Outreach Beyond Neighborhood Associations
Prior to serving on the council, Ann recognized the importance of having active neighborhood associations. When her own voluntary association began to struggle, she stepped in to keep her neighbors informed and engaged in city processes and ensure they had a strong voice at the local level. She saw that many neighborhoods had similar representation and did not want her community to be left out.
After being elected to serve on the city council, she was surprised to find that despite having almost 300 active neighborhood associations in the city, there were still many parts that lacked such representation.
"I ran for city council on the promise of reaching out to communities through neighborhood associations. It wasn't until I got there that I realized how much of the city was unrepresented. It wasn’t until the Race and Culture Task Force was created that we started saying we needed to figure out other ways to communicate, besides existing community organizations. That was very eye-opening!"
While still valuing the important role of neighborhood associations, she began seeking out new partnerships comprised of informal leaders, community groups, and diverse voices willing to share their concerns beyond the walls of established organizations. Part of her mission was to ensure that everyone had a voice in decision-making processes and that a diversity of perspectives was being considered at City Hall.
From City Council to Citizen: The Ongoing Impact of Public Service
Transitioning from her role as a city council member to a citizen advocate, Ann reflects on the challenges and rewards of public service. The demands of being an elected leader, especially in a rapidly growing city, often made it hard for her to balance work and personal life.
"For seven years as a city council person, I was working on that work-life balance thing and trying not to allow everything to consume me, but I also think that being available to people made me a great council person."
Leaving the council was a significant adjustment, taking her nearly a year to recover from the all-consuming nature of the job. "I don't know that I would undo it completely, but I would not allow it to take over my entire life so completely. After I left, it probably took me a full year to recover from being a city council person. I let that job completely consume me and it became my life. So, when anybody says the city needs to do this or that, I still feel the need to respond and let people know whether that's even in the city's purview."
Her experience underscores the profound personal impact of public service, illustrating the dedication required and the importance of setting boundaries for sustainable leadership.
3 Essential Skills New Leaders Need to Succeed
New leaders can draw from her extensive experience in public service, benefiting from her insights into essential skills for effective leadership.
Be prepared while understanding your limitations.
Ann recalls being meticulous in her preparations early in her career, a habit her boss called "ANNalyzing." This thoroughness helped her face any question with confidence. However, she eventually realized the importance of acknowledging her limitations and being open to finding answers she didn't immediately have.
Feel confident when dealing with groups.
Early in her career, she was initially terrified to present to groups without extensive preparation. This fear drove her to be exceptionally well-prepared, which in turn built her confidence over time. She advises new leaders to prepare diligently but also to understand that it's okay not to have all the answers immediately.
Handle criticism gracefully.
She highlights the importance of managing criticism with composure and not taking it personally. She has observed that the most effective leaders are those who can calmly accept feedback without becoming confrontational or letting their egos get in the way.
"I've watched people who I think manage that skill well - they're not confrontational and don't have their ego involved in it. They can calmly take in the criticism or comment without taking it personally, even if it is personal."
Ann believes each of these skills is crucial for leaders trying to navigate the complexities of their roles effectively and to foster positive relationships within their teams and communities.
Final Takeaways from Ann
Ann Zadeh's experience offers valuable insights for anyone looking to make an impact in their community:
Value diverse voices: Seek out perspectives beyond established channels and organizations to ensure everyone has a seat at the table.
Practice consensus-building: True consensus isn't about outvoting the minority but finding solutions everyone can support.
Set healthy boundaries: While dedication is admirable, sustainable leadership requires balance between public service and personal well-being.
Prepare thoroughly: Being meticulously prepared builds confidence and effectiveness, while acknowledging when you need to find answers.
Recognize others' contributions: As she demonstrated, acknowledging the expertise and efforts of those working alongside you creates a culture of respect and appreciation.
Her habit of publicly recognizing city staff—particularly those whose accomplishments often go unnoticed—reveals the character behind her leadership. These moments of genuine appreciation made a lasting difference to the municipal professionals who supported her work.
The path to positive community change isn't just about bold initiatives and public policy—it's also built on the foundation of respectful relationships, thoughtful engagement, and recognizing the humanity in every interaction.
Whether you're serving in elected office, working in city planning, or simply wanting to be more engaged in your neighborhood, Ann's approach reminds us that how we treat others along the way matters just as much as what we accomplish.
Learn More
Check out these organizations and other resources mentioned by Ann:
Learn more about Texas Public Improvement Districts.
Read about the labor market for Urban Planners
What was the City of Fort Worth Task Force on Race and Culture?
Listen to Ann on the 817 Podcast.
See Ann's work at Community Design Fort Worth
Be inspired by Global Designing Cities