Elizabeth Via-Gossman, FAICP
Contact Information
1005 Winding Way
Covington
KY
41011-1144
United States
FAICP Statement
Elizabeth Via-Gossman is the director of community development for Manassas, Virginia, and a past chapter president. For the past 30 years, she has employed her professional skills and innate talents to better the Virginia communities where she has worked and lived. She is a trusted, effective leader and does not shy away from advocating for that which she feels is right. She believes in “make no little plans,” but is particularly skilled at prioritizing the smaller steps that are needed for project implementation. Her professional practice has produced lively and vibrant communities to the benefit of the people she serves.
Professional Biography
Elizabeth S. Via-Gossman FAICP, retired as Assistant City Manager from the City of Manassas, VA in July 2021. Previously she served the City of Manassas as Community Development Director (2003 - 2020) and earlier in her career as Senior Planner (1990-1992). Inbetween her time in Manassas, she also worked as a planner for the Virginia communities of Hampton, Henrico County and Prince William County. While in Manassas, she created a Community Conversations community engagement process to support the City of Manassas 2040 Comprehensive Plan process that, in 2019, led Governing Magazine (Washington, DC) to name Manassas as a top performer in Resident Involvement and in 2020 led the Virginia Chapter of the APA to award the City the Old Dominion Innovative Approaches award. During her tenure in Manassas she also directed the revitalization of Historic Downtown Manassas with two action plans (1992 and 2008) that resulted in $45 million in private investment and a 40% increase in tax revenues; initiated post-Great Recession spot blight abatement programs and enhanced code enforcement initiatives to address the foreclosure crisis and vacant properties maintenance issues; initiated the Manassas Neighborhood Services Program (2006 – 2017) that was recognized in 2011 by the Virginia Municipal League with a President’s Award for its’ innovation; and, negotiated a $20 million public-private development partnership for 70-acres of City owned land. Elizabeth has held a variety of leadership positions at APA and AICP including serving as president for the Virginia Chapter of the APA (1998 - 2000) and as a Chairman of the FAICP Selection Committee (2022).