ROCHESTER, N.Y. (Oct. 14. 2025) — Tanya Mooza Zwahlen, AICP, founder and CEO of Highland Planning, has been named a finalist for the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Inclusive Leadership Award. The honor recognizes executives and leaders who champion diversity, collaboration, and inclusive workplace cultures while making a meaningful impact in the broader community. The awards ceremony held Aug. 27, 2025, celebrated leaders across the Rochester region who are advancing positive change through inclusive leadership.
Building an Inclusive Planning and Urban Design Studio with Community Impact
Since founding Highland Planning in 2007, Zwahlen has grown the certified Women Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) from a solo practice into a planning and design studio with staff across New York State in Rochester, Buffalo, and Albany. The firm’s tagline, Listen. Design. Transform., reflects her commitment to authentic community engagement and inclusive planning processes.
Inclusive Leadership in Action
Zwahlen’s nomination highlights her multifaceted approach to inclusive leadership:
- Transparency and Problem-Solving: Using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) framework, Highland Planning dedicates time in every meeting—leadership, departmental, or all-staff—to collaborative issue resolution.
- Workplace Culture: The firm operates with transparent salary structures, profit-sharing, hybrid work policies, and unlimited paid time off, all built on a foundation of trust.
- Professional Development: All staff complete International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) certification, paired with layered mentorship and customized professional growth pathways.
- Community Engagement: Highland Planning pioneers innovative outreach methods, such as ambassador programs, door-to-door outreach, and pop-up events, to reach residents often excluded from traditional planning processes. Its Rochester Urban Forest Master Plan engaged more than 1,200 residents, prioritizing neighborhoods with lower tree canopy coverage.
Recognition and Community Service
Highland Planning has earned three NY Upstate American Planning Association Best Practice Public Outreach Awards, 2018 for Reimagine RTS, 2024 for Rochester’s Urban Forest Master Plan, and 2025 for Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA)’s Bailey Ave Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project. Zwahlen also received the 2025 Woman of Distinction Award from Assemblymember Harry B. Bronson. She volunteers extensively in the Rochester community, serving on the Monroe Avenue Revitalization Committee and previously contributing to the South Wedge Planning Committee, Rochester Environmental Commission, and Community Design Center Rochester.
Support From Colleagues and Partners
“Tanya has an incredible ability to make everyone feel heard—employees, clients, and community members,” said Liz Podowski King, PLA, AICP, Highland Planning’s Director of Planning and Design. “Her ability to actively listen and graciously receive feedback is one of the reasons Highland Planning is such an amazing place to work.”
Mike Evans, Executive Director of the South East Area Coalition, added: “Tanya’s work embodies inclusive leadership. She shows up consistently, listens actively, and builds capacity in others. Her efforts have fostered a collaborative, motivated, and diverse network of stakeholders.”
About Highland Planning
Highland Planning is a certified Women Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) / Disadvantaged Business Enterprise(DBE) planning and design studio driven by a passion for social good. The firm specializes in community engagement, comprehensive planning, transportation planning, and climate resilience and adaptation. With offices in Rochester, Buffalo, and Albany, Highland Planning works with municipalities and organizations across New York State.
About the Inclusive Leadership Award
The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Inclusive Leadership Award recognizes executives, HR professionals, and change-makers who foster positive and inclusive work environments, champion fairness and equity, and lead initiatives that enhance organizational culture and employee satisfaction. For more information, visit www.greaterrochesterchamber.com.
For more information about Highland Planning, visit Highland-Planning.com.
Media Contact:
Megan Jasinski Morsch
Director of Marketing and Business Development
585-504-1672 | Megan@highland-planning.com
