City of Ottawa hires new planning chief following lengthy search
Marcia Wallace will start next month in the top management role
The City of Ottawa has hired a new general manager of planning, a top position that's been vacant since August 2022.
Marcia Wallace will assume the role of general manager of planning, development and building services (PDBS) on June 16, the city announced in a memo on Tuesday. The hiring follows a lengthy search during which a panel of councillors approved paying an executive search firm to find suitable candidates.
Wallace will oversee the city's planning and heritage files, including development approvals, real estate and economic development, and infrastructure projects that aren't related to transportation.
She will take responsibility for planning at a time when provincial policies around housing and development are evolving, and as the city is due to approve a major zoning bylaw within the coming year.
Wallace is "a true public sector leader" with "vast experience" in planning and public administration, city manager Wendy Stephanson said in Tuesday's memo.
"I am confident she will lead the team in PDBS to success in an inspiring and empowering way while delivering on the priorities of Council, the organization and the evolving landscape of our city," Stephanson said.
A difficult vacancy to fill
A registered planning professional with a PhD in planning, Wallace most recently served as chief administrative officer of the Corporation of the County of Prince Edward for five years. She previously worked in the provincial government for nearly 20 years, according to the memo.
The city had struggled to find the right candidate for the planning job, with experts previously telling CBC that the lengthy hiring process reflected the fact that it's a pressure-filled role for which there is a limited pool of qualified talent. The cities of Toronto and Hamilton have also been hunting for a top planning bureaucrat.
The portfolio Wallace will oversee was recently restructured, with several of its past responsibilities assumed by a new strategic initiatives department created last April, leaving a "pure planning department" that is "laser-focused" on meeting the city's housing targets.
Wallace will replace Vivi Chi, who has been serving as interim general manager of planning, real estate and economic development since January 2023, when the previous interim manager Don Herweyer retired after 18 months in the role.
Steve Willis was Ottawa's last permanent general manager of planning, serving from 2017 to August 2022.