By Martine Miller, Mount Pleasant Communications Manager
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (December 18, 2020) - Mount Pleasant Town Administrator Eric DeMoura today announced the appointment of Michele Reed to the position of Director of Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods (PLAN).
Following the retirement of Planning Director Jeff Ulma at the end of January, Reed will take the helm of the department. She will bring more than 15 years of experience in planning to the fourth largest municipality in South Carolina.
In her new role, Reed will oversee the restructured PLAN Department, including a newly created Neighborhoods Division to manage a wide variety of activities and programs related to the livability and quality of life in Mount Pleasant neighborhoods. Reed will oversee the Comprehensive Plan implementation, zoning and rezoning requests, new development proposals, short-term rentals, tree removals, design review and enforcement activities.
“Michele is the most qualified person to lead the department,” said DeMoura. “Her desire to improve on Mount Pleasant’s high quality of life and to protect the livability of our neighborhoods is consistent with the direction provided by our mayor and town council. She is someone we can count on to help keep Mount Pleasant as a premier place in the region to live, raise a family, and conduct business.”
Reed previously served for five years as Principal and Senior Planner for the Town of Mount Pleasant. She was the staff liaison to the Planning Commission and supervised staff overseeing the Historic District Preservation Commission and Short-Term Rental Program Administration. Reed has conducted plan reviews of applications to ensure consistency with Town ordinances and facilitated development approvals, land use changes, and rezoning petitions through the planning process.
“I am tremendously grateful to have been selected to serve in this position. I look forward to continuing to work for the town in this new capacity and furthering our commitment to planning, livability, and a public-service culture,” said Reed.
Prior to joining the Town for Mount Pleasant, Reed served as Senior Planner for the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments. She also worked as a Regional Planner for the Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia and Interim Director for the Johnson County Department of Planning and Zoning, Franklin, IN.
Reed earned her Master’s Degree in Planning and her Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Affairs from Indiana University – Purdue University, IN.
She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, the American Planning Association, and the South Carolina Planning Association.
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