After Long Search, Oakland To Have A New Planning Director

A new planning and building director will soon start in Oakland. City officials selected William Gilchrist to oversee the 142-person department following an extensive national search for a new director. He will replace Rachel Flynn, who is now managing FivePoint’s Concord Naval Base project. Gilchrist will begin his new job on Sept. 11.

Gilchrist has 35 years of experience and most recently served as New Orleans’ director of place-based planning. He managed the administration’s urban design and place-based development strategy across public agencies and city departments for the last seven years. Previous positions include senior associate at Aecom in Atlanta and City of Birmingham, Alabama, director of planning, engineering and permits.

“William’s community-focused approach to urban design and planning will be a huge asset to the city during this time of great change in Oakland,” Oakland City Administrator Sabrina Landreth said in a statement.

Oakland is undergoing a building boom with 3,000 housing units under development, according to the San Francisco Business Times. The East Bay city also is pushing for stronger enforcement of building codes following the Ghost Ship fire, which killed 36 people in December. Oakland also is looking for a new fire chief and potentially 12 additional fire inspectors.

“I am excited for this compelling opportunity to serve the Oakland community in framing and implementing visionary planning and development that addresses critical needs facing Oakland today and in the future,” Gilchrist said in a statement.

Gilchrist received a Master of Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Master of Science in Management and a Bachelor of Science in design. He also completed the Kennedy School of Government’s State and Local Executive Program at Harvard University and is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.