Elizabeth Leheny, AICP, PP, managing principal
Liz Leheny, AICP, PP
Ms. Leheny joined Phillips Preiss in March 2005, became a principal in 2011, and is now the Managing Principal. Her work focuses primarily on public sector clients with an emphasis on master planning; affordable housing planning and compliance including providing expert planning testimony in Superior Court; land use ordinance drafting; Redevelopment studies and plans; Highlands Council compliance; historic preservation; design guidelines; and development application review. Among her current clients are the Boroughs of Morris Plains, Netcong, Mountain Lakes, and Harrington Park; as well as the Townships of Long Hill, Cranbury, and Morris. She provides planning services to a number of municipalities throughout the State of New Jersey, as well as the Fort Monmouth Economic Redevelopment Authority (FMERA). Recent work includes drafting the Township of Bloomfield Master Plan which won an achievement in planning award from the New Jersey Planning Officials; preparing land use standards for the redevelopment of the former Fort Monmouth in Monmouth County to a state of the art motion picture production studio for Netflix; and affordable housing plans and compliance ordinances for numerous municipalities. Ms. Leheny holds an M.S. in Historic Preservation from Columbia University and a Master of City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Paul Grygiel, AICP, PP,
Paul Grygiel, AICP, PP
Mr. Grygiel joined the firm in 2000 and became a principal in 2002. He specializes in comprehensive and neighborhood planning, development review and zoning analysis. Mr. Grygiel is an experienced expert witness who has appeared before planning and zoning boards in over 150 municipalities throughout New Jersey, as well as in Superior Court. He also regularly presents at planning conferences and seminars, and is a member of the New Jersey Planning Officials' Board of Planning Advisors.
Mr. Grygiel directed the preparation of the City of Hoboken Master Plan, which won the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-NJ) Outstanding Comprehensive Plan Award. His recent projects include preparation of a master plan update for North Bergen, New Jersey, zoning amendments for New Milford, New Jersey and Roslyn, New York, and redevelopment studies and plans for Fort Lee, New Jersey. He also is the consulting planner for multiple municipalities and has reviewed complex development applications on behalf of land use boards in municipalities including West Orange, New Jersey and Mineola, New York. Mr. Grygiel received a Master of Regional Planning degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Kate Keller, AICP, PP
Kate Keller, AICP, PP
Ms. Keller joined Phillips Preiss as a planner in 2012. She has demonstrated expertise in a providing a range of land use planning and development advisory services to both the public and private sector, including drafting zoning ordinances and regulatory updates, preparing master plans and related studies; municipal development application review, and general real estate and feasibility analyses. She also regularly serves private development clients as an expert witness before planning and zoning boards across the state. Ms. Keller has been a member of project teams involved in award-winning local and regional planning efforts as supported by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, the Somerset County Planning Board and several host municipalities. Ms. Keller holds a Master of City Planning degree from the University of Pennsylvania, from where she also earned a B.A. degree in Urban Studies.
Paul Phillips, AICP, PP, consulting principal
Paul Phillips, AICP, PP
Mr. Phillips joined the firm in 1977 and served as its managing principal until 2025. In addition to his land use planning and master plan work, Mr. Phillips directed the firm’s real estate, Redevelopment, and condemnation-related assignments. For over 30 years, he provided expert planning services to various municipal boards and governing bodies; educational institutions; major real estate developers; and corporations looking to relocate and/or expand facilities in New Jersey. He obtained approvals for hundreds of private development projects throughout the State. Mr. Phillips’ work received awards from the NJ Chapter of the American Planning Association, New Jersey Future, New Jersey Planning Officials, and Downtown New Jersey. In 2021, the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association awarded the Budd Chavooshian Award for Outstanding Professional Planner to Mr. Phillips in honor of his distinguished career. Mr. Phillips continues to provide high-level expert planning consulting services to select clients on an as-need basis.
Richard Preiss, PP, principal emeritus
Richard Preiss, PP
Mr. Preiss joined the firm in 1981 and served as a partner from 1984 until his retirement in 2021. In his 40 year career at the firm, Mr. Preiss became a highly regarded expert in the field of land use planning working for both public and private sector clients. In 2012 the New Jersey Planning Officials recognized Mr. Preiss’ contribution to the planning profession by awarding him the Achievement in Planning Award. He also found time to co-author the Illustrated Book of Development Definitions (4th edition), which is the authoritative resource on planning and zoning terms for planning, development, and design professionals.