[Archived] City of Alexandria Names Faroll Hamer New Planning and Zoning Director

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	March 8, 2007 PIO# 060-07/sjm	Steve Mason, Director of Communications, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

CITY OF ALEXANDRIA NAMES FAROLL HAMER
NEW PLANNING AND ZONING DIRECTOR

Alexandria City Manager James K. Hartmann today announced the appointment of Ms. Faroll Hamer to be the City’s new Director of Planning and Zoning. In this position, Ms. Hamer will oversee the department’s 37 employees, manage a budget of $4.2 million, and work closely on a variety of matters with City Council, the Planning Commission, the Board of Architectural Review, the Board of Zoning Appeals, as well as with the community. Her appointment follows an extensive national search and selection process, which culminated in interviews with panels consisting of Alexandria residents and staff members.

Since December 2005, Ms. Hamer has been interim director of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s (M-NCPPC) Montgomery County Planning Department. Prior to that, from 1987 to 2005, she had been with M-NCPPC’s Prince George’s County Planning Department, serving as Chief of Development Review, supervisor of the Urban Design Section, and as a planner in the Urban Design Section.

“I am very pleased that the City of Alexandria could attract someone with Faroll Hamer’s knowledge and expertise,” said Mr. Hartmann. “She has outstanding credentials as a planner and has a vision to guide the organization towards continual improvement, collaborative relationships, and cutting-edge planning practices.”

As Director of Planning and Zoning, Ms. Hamer will be responsible for developing plans for the desired uses of land in the City. She will also be responsible for administering the City’s zoning ordinance, for reviewing and making recommendations on a wide range of land use applications, and for providing architectural, urban design and technical assistance to other City departments.

“I am thrilled to have been selected as the new planning director,” said Ms. Hamer. “I look forward to helping the City guide new development and planning efforts while maintaining or improving existing neighborhoods and the high quality of life that Alexandria residents currently enjoy.”

Ms. Hamer holds a Master of Arts Degree in Landscape Architecture from Morgan State University (Baltimore, MD), and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Smith College (Northampton, MA). She will join the City in late April.

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