Palm Springs hires new planning director, Chris Hadwin, from New York City
A leader in planning and development for one of New York City's boroughs will be the next director of Palm Springs' planning department, the city announced Friday.
Chris Hadwin, who is currently a director of planning for the New York Department of Planning focusing on Staten Island, is set to begin in Palm Springs on Aug. 1, according to a city news release.
The position was previously held by Flinn Fagg, who was promoted to the position of Palm Springs Deputy City Manager in January. Fagg, who previously worked in planning in Las Vegas, came to Palm Springs in 2014.
Hadwin has been with the New York City Department of City Planning for the past seven years. He was hired in 2015 to serve as a Senior Planner and promoted to Deputy Director of the Staten Island borough in 2017. He was then appointed director of the borough in 2018.
Prior to starting his work in New York, Hadwin served as an associate negotiator and land-use representative with the Ontario Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs in Toronto, Canada, from 2013 to 2015. He also served as a planner for the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and for Rocky View County in the Calgary area.
According to Palm Springs officials, some of Hadwin’s key accomplishments include adoption of the Bay Street Corridor rezoning, a revitalization plan and $250 million investment to facilitate 1,300 new affordable units within a mixed-use, transit-oriented community.
He also implemented Staten Island’s inclusionary housing program in several large private developments to create new affordable housing, collaborated with stakeholders to modernize outdated zoning regulations to protect the area’s unique natural features and freshwater tidal wetlands, and implemented new zoning measures to assist with recovery from Hurricane Sandy, the city said.
“Chris Hadwin is a talented executive whose many years of planning experience, working with stakeholders, and tackling community issues in the City of New York and in Canada will be a tremendous asset to the City of Palm Springs,” said Palm Springs City Manager Justin Clifton in the announcement of Hadwin's hiring. “We are excited to welcome him to the management team at City Hall.”
Hadwin received a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.
“I am humbled by the opportunity to continue my dedication to public service by joining the incredible team at the City of Palm Springs,” said Hadwin. “I look forward to meeting and making connections across the community and working to enrich all that makes Palm Springs such an inclusive, dynamic and vibrant place to live.”
Hadwin and his husband, Ryan, will move to Palm Springs within the next few weeks.
Paul Albani-Burgio covers breaking news and the City of Palm Springs. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and via email at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs hires Chris Hadwin as new planning director
