CD&P Principals

Arin Gray
President

Arin Gray is President of Concept Development & Planning, LLC (CD&P). Her focus is on public involvement activities and she is responsible for developing and implementing public involvement plans for private and public entities. These plans may include: identifying key stakeholders; selecting appropriate audience based communication; arranging and facilitating public meetings; developing marketing materials; making presentations; and media coordination. Gray also coordinates public relations and marketing for clients including strategic plan development, and crisis/issues management. Arin has expertise in planning and organizing website development, brochures, signage creation and placement, and event coordination and facilitation. Recent project experience includes: assisting the Texas Department of Transportation with consensus building and holding an open house for the US 290/Springdale Road Overpass; work with Lakeline Commons to gain neighborhood consensus; and assisting the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority in engaging stakeholders in the US 290 Context Sensitive Design process.

Prior to working in public involvement, Gray worked at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as the Director of Special Events. As such she was responsible for planning and coordinating fundraising events including walks, galas, golf tournaments and taste events. Gray received her degree in Communications Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.

Cathy Howell
Vice President of Communication Design

A native Texan, Cathy Howell brings 35 years of graphic design, marketing, photography and fine art to CD&P. Over the years she has created and implemented graphics and curricula to meet the needs and varied learning styles for primary, secondary and college level classes from gifted to challenged students in Oregon, Wyoming and Texas. With these experiences, she is able to translate complex issues such as transportation and community development into graphic representations and concepts the public can understand. She has formulated and facilitated special events around the state including branding for public/private entities and political campaigns, press packets and coordination of various media companies to promote current issues.

In working with Texas counties and the Texas Department of Transportation since 1999, Cathy has worked with engineers and community leaders to create brochures, maps and exhibits to clarify future road and park bond projects along with state, county, and city transportation connectivity concerns. Through photographic manipulations of existing situations, future possibilities can become a virtual visual reality for a clearer understanding of impact to the environment and communities. In order to meet the multi-layered needs of the clients of CD&P, Cathy utilizes and incorporates multiple file formats to design materials that are camera ready for service bureaus, formatted for web design and electronic presentations.

Ms. Howell has a degree in fine arts specializing in communication design from Texas State University.