Work Anniversary Spotlight - Cierra Johnson
How many years have your worked for Circulate and what is your title?
I have worked at Circulate for three years and I am a Senior Planner.
Which role did you start out as and which role are you in now? Describe the different type of tasks you perform.
When I first started at Circulate, my role was an Associate Planner and Community Engagement Specialist, and I have since grown into my current role as a Senior Planner. Throughout this transition, my responsibilities have expanded from supporting projects and community engagement efforts to managing projects.
In my earlier role, I supported community outreach efforts, assisted with project coordination, helped organize events, and contributed to planning deliverables. In my current role, I manage grant-funded projects from planning through implementation. This growth has allowed me to strengthen my skills in community engagement, and multimodal transportation planning.
During this time, what’s your most memorable face palm moment? Or what is your biggest achievement to date? Choose one.
My biggest achievement to date has been leading the MLK Park beautification project. This project was especially meaningful because I was able to take an idea from concept to completion while incorporating community engagement, tree planting, and placemaking. I coordinated the project’s design, materials, and implementation, working through the many details needed to transform the Park into a more welcoming and vibrant community asset. Seeing the final result and knowing that community members can enjoy and interact with a space that I helped create was incredibly rewarding. This project allowed me to combine my skills in planning, creativity, and community engagement while demonstrating my ability to bring a vision to life.
What are you excited for about the future?
Looking toward the future, I am excited to continue growing my skills in graphic design, creative placemaking, and visual storytelling. Over the past few years, I have enjoyed finding ways to combine planning with creativity, whether through community engagement materials, creative demonstration projects, project visuals, or designs that help make transportation concepts more accessible. I look forward to continuing to strengthen my design skills while contributing to projects that connect with communities in meaningful ways. I am excited about opportunities to continue learning, exploring new creative approaches, and bringing a fresh perspective to planning work.
