LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday selected the county’s newest Community Development director.
Following a closed session held during the course of Tuesday’s special board meeting, the supervisors voted to hire Mary V. Darby.
Darby has nearly three decades of experience in planning, consulting and coaching.
Johanna DeLong, assistant clerk of the board, said Supervisor EJ Crandell moved to appoint Darby at salary step three, with Supervisor Moke Simon seconding and the board voting 5-0.
The county did not report on what pay range is included in salary step three, but the entire pay range for the job is $102,668.80 to $124,779.20 annually, according to the county’s website.
Darby’s appointment is effective Oct. 4.
“I am overflowing with excitement and joy for the great opportunity afforded me to serve the leaders, residents, businesses and tourists of Lake County,” Darby said in a statement released by the county. “Since leaving California, it has always been my dream to return as a well-rounded, educated and trained community development leader, with experience in many facets of the field.”
Her written statement added, “I am super delighted my return to California will begin, and end, in the county of Lake, and look forward to providing Lake County with professionalism, loyalty and a high standard of customer service. Our team will operate with one main goal in mind … Successful results!”
The county has been looking for stability and leadership for the Community Development Department, which in the last several years has seen several directors come and go.
Darby will be the sixth person to head the department on either a permanent or temporary basis since the start of 2016.
The department has been challenged by turnover, rebuilding in the wake of the county’s devastating fires and working to process hundreds of projects proposed as part of the burgeoning cannabis industry.
In early 2020, the Board of Supervisors combined the Community Development Department with the departments of Public Works and Water Resources, headed by Scott De Leon.
However, in May, the board voted to separate the Community Development director’s job from Water Resources and Public Works with a view to beginning a recruitment for a new director.
At the time, Board Chair Bruno Sabatier noted Community Development is vital to Lake County's our economic well-being and said it also was one of the most difficult departments to manage.
The board subsequently appointed County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson as interim Community Development director while the county search for a permanent director took place.
Huchingson, her staff and a consultant have overseen the department since then.
“Lake County is on its way up, and this hire is another sign we are building a bright future,” Huchingson said in a written statement. “We are working to make it easier for people to invest in Lake County, to build businesses here, develop housing that we desperately need. Mary Darby will help us take our next steps, and we could not be more pleased to have her aboard.”
Three decades of experience
County officials said Darby’s selection comes as the result of a nationwide search.
Darby is a University of California, San Diego graduate who also holds a Master of Arts degree in city planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology. County officials said she has strong knowledge of National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act requirements, and is a current American Institute of Certified Planners candidate.
Her resume includes three years as the managing principal of Smart Planning Connections LLC, during which time she has acted as a zoning administrator for municipalities.
She’s also been a planner and a principal planner for the city of Atlanta, acting as project manager for the city’s zoning ordinance updates, and led Atlanta’s Office of Zoning & Development Regulatory Reform Team.
Darby’s professional experience also includes acting as director of planning and zoning for the city of Covington, Georgia; working as transportation environmental planner associate for the Georgia Department of Transportation; community outreach manager for the Georgia Conservancy; zoning administrator for the county of Fulton, Georgia; and membership on the planning board for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.
She also has an interest in young people. The Smart Planning Connections website said she launched the "Kid's University" Business & Planning School in 2018, and she’s also the founder of the nonprofit Eagle Heirs International youth program that works with inner city youth.
“It is truly exciting to bring someone with Mary’s depth and breadth of experience to Lake County,” said District 5 Supervisor Jessica Pyska, a member of an ad hoc committee that has been working with the Community Development Department on solving some of its challenges.
Pyska said Darby has proved herself to be a skilled planner, manager and zoning administrator.
Simon, who also sits on the Community Development Department Ad Hoc Committee, said that in Lake County, “We expect department heads to roll their sleeves up, and bring a well-rounded skill set to the table. Mary is ready to do that. She will be a fantastic support to our Community Development staff that has already shown tremendous growth in recent months.”
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