City Announces Interim Planning & Development Services Department Director

On Dec. 6, the City of Boulder will welcome David Gehr’s return to the organization. Gehr will act as interim director of the city’s Planning and Development Services Department (P&DS) until the director position is filled.

As interim director, Gehr will be focused on ensuring seamless operations, working toward the city’s long-range planning goals, guiding the team and providing leadership to complex and high-profile projects within the organization.

Gehr most recently served as the city’s chief deputy city attorney. He retired in June 2021 after 30 years of service to the Boulder community. During his tenure in the City Attorney’s Office, he was intimately involved in Boulder’s planning work and collaborated closely with planning and development services staff, boards and council. In addition to his law degree, Gehr also earned a master’s degree in Community Planning from the University of Nebraska. In 2017, Gehr served as interim director of the City of Boulder’s then Planning, Housing and Sustainability Department.

“We are so fortunate to be able to welcome David back to our organization,” said City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde. “David has an incredible wealth of experience after three decades of public service with the city. His knowledge of our community, service standards and values will help to make this transition a smooth one.”

The city is actively recruiting for the P&DS director position, along with several other positions in the department. The P&DS director plays a crucial role in providing leadership to­­­­ the department and to the entire city.