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Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Professional Designation (CPD)
Lee Valentyn
Biography
I am a lifelong Wisconsinite and resident of Milwaukee since 2006. My educational background is in Psychology and Spanish (Bachelor of Arts, Carroll College n.k.a. Carroll University) and International Affairs (Master of Arts, Marquette University). My primary professional experiences are in the nonprofit field, and I have experiences working for organizations that focus on mentoring, data collection and analysis, and neighborhood revitalization.
I am bilingual (English/Spanish) and spent nine months studying abroad in Ecuador, South America and 16 months as a volunteer in Nicaragua, Central America. I have also visited states such as Minnesota, Illinois, California, and Nevada, as well as Washington D.C. to learn about and observe the built environment and strategies to reduce crime.
In addition to serving as a crime reduction strategy, I value CPTED as a tool for broader community engagement and input. Community and personal safety often stand out as issues of importance to residents of all kinds of neighborhoods. I have found that many people have an intuitive understanding of CPTED principles (especially sightlines, lighting, and the general effect of the built environment on behavior) and that engaging the community in CPTED evaluations provides common language and social infrastructure to catalyze meaningful change.