Nina Idemudia, AICP

Nina joined CNT in September 2023 as our new CEO. As a native Detroiter, Nina understands firsthand how the built environment shapes the lives of society’s most vulnerable populations. This fuels her passion for empowering people to be change agents through urban planning.  

Previously, she served as Chicago Recovery Plan Director for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, where her primary focus was to ensure equitable grant distribution across 11 critical program initiatives supporting Chicago's economic revival. In addition to overseeing a staff of 19 and dozens of delegate agency contracts, Nina helped create and lead a data management and impact team to create new standards for how the department analyzes its economic investments for equitable outcomes.  

She has also helped to lead MUSE Community + Design, where she served as Director of Planning, and has previously served as a planner for the City of Los Angeles.  

Nina specializes in equitable community development, inclusive outreach strategies, and organizational innovation for planning agencies. She has three  awards from the American Planning Association; is a Vanguard Fellow, a New Leaders Council Fellow, and a Civic Leadership Academy Fellow; and was also honored with a SHEro award by Los Angeles Councilmember Curren D. Price, Jr. for her community leadership. 

Also in 2023, Nina was elected the first Black President for the Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association. She is also a board member of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. 

Nina is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Southern California. She is currently a resident of the Archer Heights neighborhood on Chicago’s Southwest Side.