The City of Ottawa has appointed Lee Ann Snedden as the director of planning services, replacing John Moser, who has retired. She reports to Stephen Willis, the new general manager of planning, infrastructure and economic development.
Snedden has a good reputation with the building and development industry, and was considered one of the internal candidates to take on the newly created senior responsibilities taken on by Willis, as part of a municipal reorganization under the direction of city manager Steve Kanellakos.
“Lee Ann is in her 29th year of municipal service where she brings a diversity of experience from working in five different city departments in various strategic and managerial roles,” Willis wrote in a memo describing her appointment. “Lee Ann’s strength is in her executive leadership skills, she acquired her Masters Certificate in Municipal Leadership from York University’s Schulich School of Business in 2013.”
Willis described her leadership style as “transformational,” with an emphasis on continuous improvement in ensuring the city’s processes, staff and stakeholder engagement, and services are continually improved.
In the past five years in the Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development Department, Snedden has held three positions, manager of policy development and urban design, chief of development review and now director of planning services.
“Lee Ann’s most notable achievements are the completion of the city’s current Official Plan, Infrastructure Master Plan, six Transit Oriented Development (TOD) plans, and nine community design plans all on time, on budget and unanimously approved by council,” Willis wrote.
Snedden currently chairs both the Development Industry Steering Committee and the Development Industry Sub Committee, co-chairs the Land Management Solution Committee (a digital work flow and project management solution that will transform how the city does business), is a member of the Management Job Evaluation Review Committee, and is leading teams that will be addressing major city building projects such as 900 Albert, Zibi, LeBreton Flats, Central Library, Tunney’s Pasture, and the new Ottawa Hospital.
