By Carol McCracken  (Post # 2,425)

Stuart “Tuck” O’Brien has been hired by the City of Portland to serve as its Planning Division Director.  He will begin work in mid-October  His salary is $85,000. and he reports to Jeff Levine.  O’Brien succeeds Alex Jaegerman, who left this position earlier this year to take a similar post elsewhere after over thirty years with the City.

Mr. O’Brien will be responsible for leading a department of eleven that manages and reviews comprehensive  current and long-range planning processes as well as the development  of regulatory programs for the City.

Mr. O’Brien has a diverse background in both the public and private sector.  He is currently a staff attorney at the Maine Public Utilities Commission and previously Director of Transportation and long-range planning for the city of Somerville, MA.   In a volunteer capacity, he has served for the last five years as a member of the City’s planning board.  He has a professional certificate in planning from Tufts University and a J.D. from Boston College.

“I’m pleased to welcome Tuck as our Planning Division Director,  said Jeff Levine, the City’s Planning and Urban Development Director.  “He understands planning and   the role it can play in shaping Portland’s future and has a deep respect for the public process.  We were particularly impressed with his experience in large-scale urban redevelopment projects.”