Alumni Story: Chris Norman '13 Serves as Chief of Staff for the City of Oakland, California's Housing and Community Development

Geography at Dartmouth was my introduction to thinking about why place matters. I always laugh when I realize I went from San Francisco to Hanover to study urban areas and demographies, but the experience taught me how to articulate how space and place are produced. I've taken learnings from my time at Dartmouth, especially through courses like Social Justice and the City, and acquired a master's degree in urban planning from the University of Southern California. I've spent ten years working at the intersections of racial equity, local government, and housing justice, building upon concepts from the right to the city. I currently serve as Chief of Staff for the City of Oakland, California's Housing and Community Development department where I administer and advance high-level housing policies, programs, and strategies to improve conditions for residents. I think of and thank professors like Richard Wright and Sharlene Mollett who shaped my thinking while at Dartmouth.