Senior Director, Communities by Design Joel Mills is Senior Director of the Architect Foundation’s Communities by Design program. The Communities by Design program is a leading provider of pro bono technical assistance and democratic design for communities. Its programs have catalyzed billions of dollars in sustainable development across the United States, helping to create some of the most vibrant places in America today. Joel’s 30-year career has been focused on strengthening civic capacity, public processes and civic institutions. This award-winning work has helped millions of people participate in democratic processes, visioning efforts, and community planning initiatives. He has delivered presentations, training content, workshops and public processes across 5 continents. In the United States, Joel has provided consultative services to hundreds of communities, leading participatory processes on the ground in over 100 communities across 38 states. He has served on dozens of expert working groups, boards, juries, and panels focused on urbanism, design, civic discourse and public participation. He was a founding board member of the International Association for Public Participation’s United States Chapter. He has spoken at numerous international conferences concerning democratic urbanism and the role of democracy in urban success, including serving as the Co-Convener of the Remaking Cities Congress. Joel is an Academician at the Academy of Urbanism in London, UK. He is the author of numerous articles on the relationship between democracy, civic capacity and community and was most recently a contributing author to Future-Proofing Local Government: Essays on Innovation, published by the ICMA in 2025.