Jessica Pakdaman joins Rosenheim & Associates, Inc. as Project Manager, with over ten years of land-use experience. She has managed and led entitlement efforts on several projects in Los Angeles, ranging from mixed-use, residential, retail and institutional developments. Over the years, she has gained a keen and thorough understanding of the zoning code, urban planning principles and related land-use laws, all of which are essential in navigating through the City entitlement process.
Prior to joining Rosenheim and Associates, Pakdaman was a Senior Administrative Analyst with the City of Santa Monica, where she played a role in coordinating the administration of the Santa Monica Housing Authority’s policies, regulations and specialized supportive and affordable housing programs. Her duties with the City also included researching and monitoring administrative activities to ensure program quality and compliance with governmental regulations. After a brief hiatus to start a family, she began providing freelance zoning and land-use consulting services to land-use firms and developers, offering services such as the preparation of property zoning and land-use feasibility analyses, entitlement applications and other advisory and support services.
Upon switching paths into the public sector, Pakdaman worked with Los Angeles-based land-use consulting firm Craig Lawson & Co., LLC for nearly seven years, where she was responsible for preparing, managing and overseeing the processing of land-use entitlement applications for several large-scale developments in the greater Los Angeles area, including notable projects such as the Figueroa and Olympic SUD (Signage Supplemental Use District) in downtown L.A., 8500 Burton Way for Caruso Affiliated in the Mid City West area, and the Southwestern Law School Master Plan Project in Koreatown. She was involved in all aspects of a project proposal, from the land-use feasibility phase through entitlement approval, including community and public outreach efforts. She has presented to various advisory and decision-making bodies, from neighborhood groups to City officials, while serving as a liaison between her clients, the community and the City with the primary goal of ensuring a smooth and transparent entitlement process while meeting project objectives.
Pakdaman graduated Cum Laude from the University of Southern California, with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Annenberg School of Communication. During her time at USC, she studied for a semester abroad in London where she had the opportunity to travel throughout the United Kingdom and Europe while continuing her education in communication and media studies. Her interest in urban planning developed during her last semester at USC, in a course offered by the School of Public Policy, Planning and Development. Born and raised an Angeleno, she continues to live in Los Angeles with her family as she applies her fascination with urban planning in the City.
