Ellington

Biqi Zhao sees intrinsic beauty and potential in not only the streets of Jackson, but in its citizens as well. As land use manager for the City of Jackson, she plays an important role in the city's revitalization efforts. Instead of relying on negative stereotypes, she wants people to reserve their judgment of Jackson based on their own experiences and realize that the desire for better communities is a universal one.

"People all want good things to happen," she says. "They want to achieve something."

While growing up in Jinzhou, China, Zhao, the elder of two daughters, realized early on that she did not want to follow in the footsteps of her parents, who are both physicians. Instead, her childhood fascination with aesthetics, street layouts and building design led her to pursue a career in architecture.

After obtaining her bachelor's degree in architecture from Tianjin University in Tianjin, China, in 1996, she worked as an architect at a firm in Beijing for five years before a desire to recharge and seek education and advancement opportunities in this country led her to move to the United States. She initially settled in Louisville, Ky., where she received her master's degree in urban planning from the University of Louisville in 2004. Her desire to expand her professional experience brought her to the Jackson area in 2006.

Zhao, 41, now a U.S. citizen, previously served as senior planner for the City of Jackson before becoming land use manager in 2012.

In her current role, she manages services and programs that are focused on the city's land usage and works with developers and other departments to carry out special project development for the City. She also conducts research to determine the best use of the city's land. She then presents recommendations to city officials, committees and the public.

The feedback from the residents of the areas affected by the developments—proposed and actual—matters most to Zhao. "They are the persons living in the area," she says. "Actually, we are working for them. I like working with people—their issues, their concerns. I just try my best to help them. If I see them happy, that's good. It encourages me. It inspires me in moving forward."

In addition to being an American Institute Certified Planner and holding residential inspector certifications from the International Code Council, she is also the central representative for the Mississippi Chapter of the American Planning Association. The Jackson Citywide Design Guidelines she created won the 2013 APA Mississippi Chapter Best Project award. Zhao, who has been a course facilitator at Jackson State, hopes to attain a doctorate one day and use her professional background to teach and complete academic research.

Zhao is excited for the future of the city. "Jackson is booming!" she says with pride.