Who we are
Maggie Mackaman and Steve Spears are the co-founders and owners of cepa consulting. They have extensive multi-disciplinary experience in urban planning, community health, organizational capacity building, research, and project management. Together, they bring an extensive toolbox of perspectives and approaches to their work. For more details on their experience and backgrounds, click the LinkedIn buttons below.
Maggie has nearly ten years of experience working with local government agencies, nonprofits, and community coalitions. She has a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Iowa.
Maggie’s background includes research, strategic planning, policy analysis, and coalition building. She brings a health lens to the firm having led a multi-sector coalition working to advance health equity through changes in policies, systems, and the built environment. She has experience building relationships across sectors, leading collaborative planning processes, and designing and implementing strategies for authentic community engagement. Maggie has worked on research projects related to bicycle safety and travel behavior, walkability and public health, and community gardens and placemaking. When she is not working, you can find her reading, birding, or exploring new cities and neighborhoods.
Steve has more than 25 years of professional experience as a transportation planner, designer, and educator. He holds a doctorate degree in Planning, Policy & Design from the School of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine.
Steve's aviation background includes airport planning, design, and management of NASA-sponsored airborne research projects. He has conducted research on bicycle and pedestrian safety, travel behavior change, and the modeling of bicycle and pedestrian traffic. In his free time Steve enjoys road and mountain biking, and has been a bike commuter for decades. He is also a pilot with single engine and glider ratings.