Mayor Jorge Elorza made key staffing decisions within the Department of Planning + Development: Bonnie Nickerson will serve as director; Bob Azar will serve as deputy director and Martina Haggerty will serve as associate director of special projects.
"I am pleased to welcome Bonnie Nickerson, Robert Azar and Martina Haggerty into their new positions," Mayor Elorza said. "The Department of Planning + Development's work to guide physical change in every neighborhood and provide a blueprint for the long-term development of our city is critical to our efforts to create jobs, grow our economy and make Providence a city that works."
Nickerson is the first woman to be appointed as director of the Department of Planning + Development. She has been a planner with the city since 2001 and has served as acting planning director since January. She is a graduate of Mt. Holyoke College and holds a master's degree in community planning from the University of Rhode Island. She received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Planning Association in 2013.
Azar has served in the Department of Planning and Development since 2000. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island with a master's degree in Community Planning, Azar previously served as the director of current planning since 2007. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and the American Planning Association.
Haggerty has served as a principal planner for the city for nearly six years, and has led zoning, transportation, urban design and neighborhood planning initiatives. She is a graduate of Roger Williams University and Pratt Institute.