City Hall on Monday named a new planning director, opting for someone from inside the Marsac Building who has been leading the department in an interim capacity since the spring.
Rebecca Ward had been the assistant planning director prior to the departure of former Planning Director Gretchen Milliken in May. She arrived in 2019 as a policy analyst for the municipal government. The appointment as planning director is effective immediately.
Ward played a key role in the department as the assistant planning director and, before that, as a policy analyst. She frequently addresses the Park City Planning Commission and has a crucial role in crafting department reports.
“I can confidently say that the best candidate for this position was right here at Marsac. Rebecca has the right mix of attention to detail, calm under pressure, and an encyclopedic knowledge of our complex codes and laws to be an effective planning director. Rebecca has earned this — it’s her time to lead,” City Manager Matt Dias said in a prepared statement.
A City Hall release announcing the appointment noted Ward’s involvement in a series of high-profile issues, including the future of Quinn’s Junction, the talks about Bonanza Park and the discussions about updating City Hall’s detailed development rules, which are outlined in a document called the Land Management Code.
“Thank you to our city’s leaders for entrusting me with this position. I am honored to work with our outstanding planning team, colleagues, and community. Park City residents care deeply about their future. The coming year will be an exciting one for continued community engagement — with both an update to the General Plan, our work with the Bonanza Park area, and the many important projects that will shape the community for years to come,” Ward said in a prepared statement.
Mayor Nann Worel, a onetime member of the Planning Commission, also praised the hiring in a statement.
“We are so excited to have Rebecca, who is an incredibly talented, experienced, and educated planning professional, officially join as our director,” Worel said. “This is one of the most challenging positions at Park City municipal, and I have the utmost confidence that Rebecca is up for the challenge.”
Ward leads a 10-person department that is one of the highest profile within the municipal government. The Planning Department is responsible for a wide range of growth-related matters, including the processing of individual development applications and the crafting of municipal documents that guide growth, such as the Land Management Code and the General Plan. While the Land Management Code covers the detailed rules, the General Plan is overarching in nature.
Milliken left the post after a little more than two years. She arrived from the municipal government in Louisville, Kentucky, as the successor to the longtime planning director at City Hall, Bruce Erickson.