Clayton Appoints New Director of Planning and Development Services

May 19, 2010

Clayton City Manager Craig Owens recently announced the appointment of Susan M. Istenes, AICP as the city’s new Planning & Development Services Director effective July 6, 2010. She is currently serving as Special Projects Manager in Collier County in Naples, Florida. Prior to her current position she served for seven years with the County as the Director of Zoning and Land Development Review where she lead a staff of 39 employees and oversaw a budget of 3.4 million dollars.

Ms. Istenes has nearly twenty years experience in urban planning, is a member of the American Planning Association and holds a designation from the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Ms. Istenes received her Bachelor of Science, Horticultural Science and Landscape Design and Master of Science, Urban and Regional Planning degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Ms. Istenes will start as Clayton’s Planning Director as the city concludes the Downtown Master Planning process that will serve as a roadmap for future development for Clayton.

“Susan is a good fit for Clayton and brings experience that will help us take some important next steps,” said City Manager Owens. “Even in this economy we continue to have high levels of development activity, and we are already seeing significant additional commercial development queuing up. Bringing Susan’s leadership into the organization is great timing.” He continued, “Her commitment to high standards and quality development, while maintaining excellent working relationships with the property development community is not always an easy balance to strike and maintain, but is critical for Clayton.”

Ms. Istenes was selected to fill the Planning Director position following a national search that generated over 75 applications from around the country and even international. She will succeed former Planning & Development Services Director Catherine Powers, who left Clayton to take a position as Planning & Sustainability Director in Franklin, Tennessee.