We are Vicus
VICUS is committed to delivering high quality and innovative consulting services to our clients; we are able to do this by enlisting the most qualified and experienced staff, specialized in each of our three core service areas-planning, design and environment. Our principal has extensive experience managing large scale, high profile planning and infrastructure projects.
Monica Villalobos
Principal and Owner
Monica (she/her) brings over 20 years of experience in the planning and transportation field. Her passion and commitment to the field is evidenced by her extensive experience and leadership roles. As Principal of VICUS, Monica leads an organization dedicated to client service, delivery of high quality products, and innovative solutions. She brings a unique cross-disciplinary perspective having worked in the fields of transportation planning and policy, NEPA/CEQA, Transit Oriented Communities (TOC), land use, active transportation, first/last mile, and award winning community engagement strategies.
Prior to establishing VICUS she served as Executive Director of the non-profit organization, the Transportation and Land Use Collaborative. Most recently she co-lead the Southern California transportation planning division at AECOM, a global architecture, engineering and construction firm.
Monica has held various leadership positions including Rail`Volution National Steering Committee member, American Planning Association (APA) Latinos and Planning Division Chair, and multiple APA national committee appointments.
Monica is passionate about building walkable, bikeable, and inclusive communities. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, language, mentorship, and the arts. She has visited over twelve countries, on three continents, and is fluent in English, Spanish and elementary Italian.
Christian J. Rodarte
Outreach Director
Known for his innovation, collaboration and creativity, Christian Rodarte is a seasoned, bilingual communications professional who thrives on fast-paced, dynamic projects, providing strategic counsel on a portfolio of mega-projects across various industry sectors. Over the last ten years, he has been at the helm of some of the most groundbreaking and formative projects for the City and County of Los Angeles and the City of Inglewood.
With his diverse and expansive expertise, he has advised and led engagement activities for public and private sector clients related to transportation planning, economic development, zoning, entitlements, public-private partnerships, revenue generation for cities and clients, as well as equity and community benefits programs.
Christian is interested in travel and philanthropic organizations, serving on charitable boards and volunteering in his community.
Amanda Heinke
Transportation Project Manager
Amanda Heinke brings over 10 years of comprehensive consulting experience. She specializes in transportation planning with a focus on traffic impact analysis, transit planning, bike/pedestrian planning, site acess and parking review, and public outreach. She holds a Master's of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management from University of the Pacific. She has extensive experiece leading transportation planning projects and working with public and private sector clients across Southern California including LA Metro, City of Beverly Hills, SCAG, ONNI Group, and others. She has managed teams of transportation planners and engineers, serving as an industry leader.
Amanda also served as the Women in Transportation Seminar (WTS)-- LA Chapter President (2015-2016). She is dedicated to advacing women in the field of transportation and STEM, and has volunteered in a varierty of mentorship roles.
In her role at VICUS she leads projects related to transportation, transit planning, traffic analysis, active transportation, and first/last mile.
Amanda enjoys knitting and traveling with her family in her spare time.
Gema Martinez Castillo
Planner
Gema Martinez Castillo (she/her) started her career with VICUS as an intern and quickly ascended into a Planner position. She works on urban design, station planning, equity, and active transportation projects. Gema is a graduate of Yale University. She holds a BA in architecture, with a focus on urbanism.
She is interested in walkable and transit-rich communities and ways to facilitate how people navigate through a city. She hopes to contribute to equitable transportation planning throughout her studies and future career.
In her spare time, she enjoys exploring new parks with her dog and reading a good book.
Jason Cheng
Planner
Jason (he/him) is an urban planner who is committed toward making cities regenerative places where all people can thrive and live with dignity and autonomy. With a background in transportation, climate resilience, and UX design, he is passionate about community-led urban development; decolonized planning approaches; and racial, design, and climate justice. Jason previously worked at Cityfi, where he coordinated new mobility projects for city and regional governments throughout the US, start-ups, Fortune 1000 companies, and philanthropic foundations. He brings valuable experience in planning for micromobility, curb space management, zero-emissions transportation, and mobility hubs. Jason is originally from Hong Kong and is currently based in Los Angeles. He has a B.A. in Print & Digital Journalism and a Master of Planning from the University of Southern California. He currently serves as Local Pathways Fellow for the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network - Youth Initiative (SDSN Youth).
In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis and basketball, singing, and bringing his dog to LA's many parks and street food spots.
Xochitl Sosa
Planner
Xochitl recently joined VICUS as a planner, specialized in visual communications and design. She graduated from The University of Arizona, majoring in Urban and Regional Development with a minor in Marketing. Throughout her college career she expanded her professional experience by working with the Bureau of Land Management in Tucson, AZ, Facilities Development at AltaMed Health and providing supportive services to immigrant populations with the International Rescure Committee.
Xochitl’s is interested in planning and how it impacts the community at large. In her role at VICUS she specializes in planning, community engagement, equity, and visual communications, working on projects in San Diego.
Daniel Hernandez
Intern
Daniel Hernandez is a Dartmouth student in the Class of 2026. He is from Los Angeles, California and is double majoring in Quantitative Social Sciences and Chinese. After graduation, Daniel plans to pursue data science at the intersection of US-China data-driven decision-making, particularly in the realm of algorithmic trading.