Leadership

William Murdock, Executive Director

William Murdock serves as executive director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC). MORPC is Central Ohio’s regional council for local governments that provides services, funding, tools, and resources to more than 75 member communities comprised of counties, cities, villages, townships, and regional agencies. As the executive director, Murdock oversees innovative planning, services, and policies in transportation, planning, housing, land use, sustainability, and data.

Working with a board of over 140 local leaders and more than 20 community committees, Murdock reorganized MORPC to sharpen its focus on collaborative partnerships, proactive planning, and local government services. He is responsible for the development of MORPC’s long-range transportation plan that coordinates over $20 billion of transportation improvements across the region through 2050. Murdock spearheaded the major regional future scenarios effort known as insight2050 and the recently completed Regional Housing Strategy – both major public/private initiatives to prepare for Central Ohio’s significant growth and development – and innovative efforts such as the Smart Region Task Force and Midwest Connect Hyperloop effort.

Murdock also directed the creation of Central Ohio’s first regional sustainability and data agendas and strengthened MORPC’s advocacy efforts at the state and federal levels.  He prioritizes efforts to build inclusion and diversity into regional work whether rural, urban, or suburban communities and to provide opportunities for young people to enter public service. Prior to joining MORPC, Murdock worked for over 15 years in state and local government in planning and economic development.

Murdock is actively involved in a number of local, state, and national organizations. Notably, he is secretary/treasurer for the Ohio Association of Regional Councils, a governor’s appointee to the DriveOhio Government Advisory Board, past president of The Ohio State University Knowlton School Alumni Society, and past chair of the National Association of Regional Councils’ (NARC) Executive Directors Council (EDC).

Murdock is a longtime resident of Central Ohio and proud Buckeye with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Master of City & Regional Planning, and Master of Science in Parks, Recreation & Tourism Administration all from The Ohio State University.

Dr. Kerstin Carr, with over two decades of experience, has centered her personal and professional journey around empowering individuals and communities to achieve success. Dr. Carr currently serves as the Chief Regional Strategy Officer & Sr. Director of Planning at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC). In this role, she leads and oversees large-scale regional planning initiatives, sustainability programs, and data projects. She is an experienced leader and change agent, always working in a collaborative manner across public and private industries empowering community officials to implement equitable and sustainable solutions around transportation, housing, and greenspace that benefit every resident. She uses effective systems thinking and strategic planning to initiate new policies and programs that have the potential to transform the region and challenge the status quo.

As an unwavering advocate for continuous learning and personal growth, Dr. Carr earned her certification as a professional coach from the Academy of Creative Coaching in 2022. She regularly extends her expertise in professional and life coaching to both her leadership capacity at MORPC as well as with local non-profit organizations.

Dr. Carr is actively involved in a number of local, state, and national organizations. Notably, she is a founding board member and treasurer of RAPID 5. She also chairs the governance committee of the Neighborhood Design Center Board and is a life coach to program participants of the Move to Prosper non-profit organization. She previously chaired the Scenario Planning Consortium of the National Association of Regional Councils and was an advisory member to the OSU Center for Real Estate and a member of the Early Childhood Advisory Council. Dr. Carr is a 2019 graduate of Leadership Columbus, was part of the 2020 Future 50 class, and has a doctoral degree in geography from the University of Regensburg, Germany.

Joseph Garrity is the Senior Director of Government Affairs and Community Relations at MORPC. He serves as the chief intergovernmental affairs officer and leads MORPC’s government affairs, membership, and investment programs.

Leading the Columbus Region Coalition (CRC), a diverse group of 16 regional organizations, Garrity collaborates with elected officials, business leaders and non-profit sector representatives, to strengthen the region by developing policies that ensure MORPC effectively serves its diverse 85 local governments. The CRC consists of local governments, members of the business community, and other regional stakeholders that make up the collective interests of Central Ohio.

With over a decade of experience in public policy, Garrity has served at the state, federal, and regional levels of government. In his free time, he serves as the vice chair of the Columbus International Visitors Council. In 2022, Garrity was selected by Columbus Business First as a 40 under 40 honoree and participated in the 2023 Leadership Columbus Class.

Garrity has a Bachelor’s degree in Specialized Studies from Ohio University, a Master’s degree in Applied Politics from the University of Akron, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Leadership from The Ohio State University.

Shawn Hufstedler has been with MORPC since 2009. His duties include: providing internal support for the executive director; serving as executive director in his absence; and directing and coordinating the IT, finance, HR, and facility activities of the Operations department.

Previous to MORPC, Hufstedler served as the director of finance and grants at the Community Shelter Board and as an assurance manager for KPMG LLP. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Government Finance Manager (CGFM), and a Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA), he is a member of the Association of Governmental Accountants Central Ohio Chapter, the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), the Ohio GFOA, the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the Human Resources Association of Central Ohio. Hufstedler serves on the Ohio GFOA Board where he co-chairs the Early Career Professionals Committee. He previously served on the First Night Columbus Board. Hufstedler is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a BS in business administration with finance and accounting majors.

Níel Jurist is the senior director of MORPC’s Communications & Engagement Department. In this role, she serves as the agency’s chief communications officer and oversees the agency’s public information, engagement, diversity & inclusion, membership, and events programming.

Níel’s career spans nearly 20 years of experience in marketing, public relations, DE&I, and communications. Prior to MORPC, she served as the spokesperson for the mayor’s office and public information manager for the police department for the City of Gahanna. Much of Níel’s career has been devoted to public service, where she held similar positions at the Ohio Treasurer of State’s Office and the Ohio Senate. In addition to her tenure in government, she also held similar positions at the YMCA of Central Ohio, Franklin County Children Services, and served as the assistant director of diversity and inclusion for the United Way in Central Ohio.

Níel received her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Ashland University and is also a proud graduate of The Ohio State University, with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. She holds an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), as well as certifications in crisis communication, media training, measurement and analysis, and risk reputation management.

Robert Williams leads MORPC’s Residential Services Department. Robert’s primary duties include providing support for the Home Repair, Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Programs. These grant programs are essential in providing assistance to county residents who have housing and weatherization needs that help stabilize their homes and reduce energy costs.

Prior to MORPC, Williams served as the executive director for Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s non-profit housing initiative, Healthy Homes, and as the sales coordinator at Homeport. He serves as a board co-chair for Resident Resources Network (RRN), a non-profit that connects residents of Wallick Communities to supportive services.

Williams is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a BA in English, as well as a master’s degree from Franklin University in marketing and communications.

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