Deborah Marton is Executive Director of Van Alen Institute, an independent non-profit working to create equitable cities through inclusive design. She also serves as a Commissioner with New York City’s Public Design Commission. In her earlier role as Executive Director of New York Restoration Project, she completed fulfillment of the private sector commitment to plant a million trees as part of NYC’s MillionTreesNYC initiative and led creation and renovation of more than 50 community garden spaces throughout NYC’s historically disinvested communities. Previous leadership roles include serving as Executive Director of the Design Trust for Public Space, Project Director at James Corner Field Operations, where she led the original Fresh Kills Master Plan team, and Program Director for NYC Parks Natural Resources Group. Deborah holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania, a J.D. from New York University School of Law, and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
