MEET THE MUSSON GROUP

NOEL MUSSON
Principal / Planner

Noel Musson has almost twenty-five years of experience working on planning, economic development, and permitting projects. Noel has worked with a range of clients from both the public and private sector. He holds a Master’s Degree in Community Planning and Development from the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Maine. As a professional land use planner, Noel has been trained to identify strategic alternatives to development issues through a comprehensive understanding of the physical and natural landscape, community trends and desires, and economic conditions. Noel has a participatory planning approach that involves clients, government officials, citizens, and other experts in creating livable and sustainable projects. He has experience with multiple regulatory sectors (state, regional, local), downtown revitalization projects, coastal harbor planning, grant writing, land use studies, code review, permitting, and project management. Noel is an expert in relating complex issues to the public and managing projects from conception to completion. He is a trained facilitator and has an understanding of the legal foundation of land use regulations, in identifying site/building permit requirements, associated time lines, and coordinating the process through to completion. Additionally, Noel has experience using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and other tools to help explore land use trends and analyze development opportunities.  

Prior to establishing The Musson Group, Noel was a Project Manager and Planning Manager for CES, Inc. a state wide multi-disciplinary engineering firm. In this role, Noel oversaw all aspects of the company’s planning and economic development business unit. Noel served as Branch Manager for the company’s office on Mount Desert Island and in Auburn. He was responsible for office staff, quality control, and business development. As Planning Director for the Town of Harpswell, Noel helped establish the Town’s first planning department, administered the Town’s Land Use Ordinances, performed code review with the Planning Board, helped staff other Town Committees, and developed the Town’s GIS Database. Noel grew up on Mount Desert Island and has a lifelong connection with the coast of Maine. Click here for more about Noel’s professional experience. Click here to email Noel.

SUSANNE PAUL
senior PLANNER & GIS analyst

Susanne Paul is an urban planning, policy, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) professional with almost two decades of planning and project management experience in the public and non-profit sectors. Her past work ranges from small local nonprofits to New York City government agencies and large regional planning organizations. Most recently she worked for almost a decade as a Park and Trail Planner and GIS Analyst with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), where she managed a complex portfolio of projects including suitability studies for new facilities, large-scale data analyses to guide policy-making and capital investments, and the planning, design, and implementation of master plan recommendations. In addition, she was a guest lecturer at the University of Maryland in the Master in Community Planning Program and for undergraduate courses in GIS.

Susanne is both a planner, data analyst, and geographer and thrives on collaborative process thinking to find creative solutions to complex and multidisciplinary problems. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with a minor in Geography and Studio Art from Middlebury College and Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design. Susanne was a recipient of the 2021 Association of Public Data Users Data Visualization Award for her work on the M-NCPPC Equity Focus Areas project. Click here to learn more about Susanne’s professional experience. Click here to email Susanne.

COURTNEY CEASE
PLANNER, resilience & sustainability lead

Courtney Cease is an international sustainable development professional with fifteen years of experience working with multinational, governmental, and non-profit organizations in the implementation of sustainability projects in the US and abroad. Courtney has expertise in climate and clean energy policy and solutions, low emissions development planning, project design and management, results monitoring, program evaluation, grants management, cross-sector partnerships, and community outreach.

Prior to joining the Musson Group, Courtney worked for the US Department of State in Washington, D.C. managing the implementation of a $60 million portfolio of global climate and clean energy grants and interagency agreements. Before that, she worked as an analyst for the World Bank supporting the management and strategic reform of the Sustainable Development Network’s portfolio of 50 global environmental partnership programs. Courtney also worked as a consultant for the US Environmental Protection Agency and for various environmental NGOs in the US and Africa.

Courtney currently serves on the Town of Camden’s Megunticook River Citizens Advisory Committee in support of advancing sustainability and resilience outcomes for the Megunticook River and its watershed. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Stewardship Education Alliance. Courtney holds an MA in International Development and Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and a BA in Environmental Policy from Colby College. Click here to learn more about Courtney’s professional experience. Click here to email Courtney.