Goleta Hires New Director of Planning, Environmental Review

http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/102212_goleta_new_director_planning_environmental_review/

By Valerie Kushnerov for the City of Goleta

After an extensive search, the City of Goleta is pleased to announce the hiring of Jennifer Carman, AICP, as the new director of planning and environmental review.

Carman will start this position effective Dec. 10. She replaces Steve Chase, who left the city in June to take a position as community development director for the City of Stockton.

“We are fortunate to find a candidate with Ms. Carman’s strengths and experience to manage our Planning and Environmental Review Department,” City Manager Dan Singer said. “As Goleta moves into its next 10 years, we have a number of opportunities and challenges, and Ms. Carman will be an instrumental part of our management team as we seek to address these. We look forward to welcoming her to the City of Goleta.”

Carman comes to the City of Goleta from the City of El Cerrito, where she is the development services manager, overseeing building, planning and code enforcement. She has experience in developing zoning policy, implementing a permit tracking system, and achieving certification of a housing element, all items that are on Goleta’s project list.

“It’s evident that Goleta values planning, and that is one of the many reasons I was attracted to this position,” Carman said. “I look forward to getting to know this great community.”

Carman began her career as a principal planner (1996-98) in Ketchikan Gateway Borough in Ketchikan, Alaska. From there she moved to senior planner (1998-2002) for the City of Seattle and to interim senior planner (2002) for the City of Merced Island. She started at the City of El Cerrito in 2002 as the planning manager and was promoted to development services manager in 2010.

She has a bachelor of arts degree in environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz and obtained her master’s degree of city planning at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

— Valerie Kushnerov is a public information officer for the City of Goleta.

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