Margaret Newman is currently the Executive Director of the Municipal Art Society of New York. MAS advocates for an intelligently planned built environment in support of economic growth, cultural diversity and resiliency for NYC. Prior to joining MAS, Ms. Newman served as Chief of Staff at the NYC Department of Transportation where she provided direction for major agency projects including the capital construction plan for Times Square, and design oversight with a focus on sustainable design. Ms. Newman developed the Street Design Manual which was instrumental in setting consistent design standards for the City’s streets and sidewalks. A certified LEED professional, she developed the LED street lighting program and key policy documents on the NYC LED pilot programs. Prior to joining NYCDOT, Ms. Newman was a partner in Marren and Newman Architects, a multidisciplinary architecture and design firm. A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, she received a BA in Visual Arts from Bennington College and a Masters of Architecture from Princeton University.