Competition Jury
Jake Axtman
Jake Axtman is a graduate of the Landscape Architecture program at North Dakota State University. He is a principal with AGL Landscape Architects in Bismarck, North Dakota. His diverse work background includes development consulting and comprehensive planning for large-scale master planned communities. He has also self-performed development for both infill and missing middle housing projects and understands the unique challenges associated with these project types. Jake sees a growing demand for alternative housing options and believes infill and missing middle projects are part of the solution.
Paul Gleye
Paul Gleye is a retired faculty member of the NDSU architecture department.
Jennifer Henderson
Jennifer Henderson is the Director of Community Housing and Grants Management Division for North Dakota Housing Finance Agency. NDHFA is a self-supporting and mission-driven state agency dedicated to making housing affordable for all North Dakotans. We offer affordable home financing to low- to moderate-income families, and help to ensure the continued availability of suitable rental housing for households of modest means while focusing on the overall housing needs of our state’s growing communities.
Isak Johnson
Isak Johnson is a Planner with the City of Bismarck’s Community Development Department where his duties include land use planning, facilitating Bismarck’s Renaissance Zone program, and working on transportation planning projects when they arise. Isak holds a Master’s of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and prior to working in planning he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Spanish from Concordia College, Moorhead, MN, and a Master’s of Science in Applied Physics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Kathi Schwan
Kathi Schwan lives in West Fargo, and became an advocate of affordable housing during her tenure as ND AARP Volunteer State President. She participated in AARP‘s National Livable Cities events, where missing middle housing was a central to the discussion. The collaboration of stakeholders forming partnerships, identifying barriers, and commitment to overcome them, were proven keys to success. She currently serves as AARP Regional Volunteer Director of the Central States, as well as a West Fargo Planning & Zoning commissioner.
David Witham
David Witham is an urban design and real estate development professional based in Bismarck ND. Through his professional practice as “Denizen Partners” he takes on challenging infill and redevelopment opportunities in his local community. At the foundation of his professional practice is a belief in the potential for walkable, mixed-use development patterns – when executed with an attention to detail informed by a fine-grained understanding of context -- to provide superior value for all participants: residents, investors, and the public at large. David is a graduate of the NDSU architecture program.
