Marielle Saunders

Senior Analyst

Marielle helps public and private sector clients create and sustain great places to live, work, and visit.

Based in HR&A’s North Carolina office, she conducts analysis for projects ranging in focus from urban resilience and environmental justice to market analysis and financial feasibility for development. She also supports parks, open spaces, and mixed-use developments with effective and ambitious operations, funding, partnership, and implementation strategies.

Her work draws on her background in community economic development. Prior to joining HR&A, Marielle was part of LISC’s national economic development team and helped restructure and grow LISC’s national program with Kiva, a crowdfunded microlending platform designed to expand access to capital for small businesses. She also supported the design and implementation of several LISC small business recovery funds at the beginning of the pandemic.

She holds a Masters in Community and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina, where she worked with NCGrowth and the Development Finance Initiative to advance equitable economic development projects across North Carolina. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History, with Sustainability and Urban Studies minors from the University of Michigan.