The National Academy of Public Administration and LocalGov250 have selected Juliana Lucchesi, MS Urban and Regional Planning class of 2016, as an honoree for their 250 Champions Initiative. 

“The 250 Champions represent government at its best. Each person selected has earned recognition by going above and beyond, showing excellence in public service, and inspiring those around them.” Juliana was nominated by a peer or fellow in public administration and selected from hundreds of recommendations from all 50 states.

Juliana works for the City of Yreka, CA, where she quickly advanced to Assistant City Manager. As of December 2025, she also serves as Mayor of Dunsmuir, CA. 

The foundation Juliana built at the University of Iowa's School of Planning and Public Affairs offered educational and professional opportunities that define daily life for a planner working in small, resource-constrained municipalities. Perhaps most formative was the program's emphasis on applied, community-facing work: students complete a major planning research project through the Sustainable Communities Lab capstone, applying their knowledge and skills to a real planning problem in an Iowa community, in partnership with the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable. Juliana’s own capstone team  conducted an economic impact analysis of extending a current fiber optic system and provided recommendations to Winneshiek County, Iowa; the City of Decorah, and Decorah Community School District on how best to continue enhancing the service. That hands-on orientation working on real problems for real communities rather than purely theoretical exercises helped shape Juliana’s understanding of what it takes to plan and implement rural infrastructure projects. 

Juliana has built her career around a genuine commitment to small, underserved communities that struggle to access professional planning expertise. Working in the rural towns of Northern California's Siskiyou County, she brings a thoughtful, hands-on approach to the complex challenges these places face — from housing and water security to infrastructure and the occasional chicken dispute. 

That same spirit of service extends to her work with the American Planning Association's California Chapter, where she took on the role of Vice President of Professional Development to help strengthen the profession itself — supporting planners across the state in earning and maintaining their AICP certification and ensuring that continuing education remained accessible and meaningful. Perhaps most reflective of her values is her role in helping form the Rural Planning Leadership and Networking program, known as RPLAN, through California APA — an initiative designed to connect rural planners with one another and with the resources they need to tackle issues that are uniquely demanding in smaller, more isolated communities. From wildfire recovery to building meaningful relationships with tribal nations, RPLAN addresses the kind of on-the-ground realities that rarely make it into planning textbooks but define the daily work of planners. Across all of these roles, what stands out is a consistent thread: a belief that small communities deserve the same quality of planning leadership as large ones, and a willingness to show up — professionally and personally — to help make that possible.     

Recipients of this year’s 250 Champions award will be honored at the 250 Champions of Public Service Celebration during ICMA’s Local Government Reimagined Conference, held in Philadelphia this May.

This prestigious award is granted by the  National Academy of Public Administration which was established in 1967 and chartered by Congress. It is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that helps government leaders solve the nation’s most critical management challenges. With more than 1,000 Fellows—including former cabinet officials, governors, mayors, and scholars—the Academy advances excellence in public administration through research, advisory services, and thought leadership.