Mayor Donna Deegan appointed R. Brett James as the city director of planning and development, effective Feb. 5.
The former director of strategic planning for the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command in San Diego, James spent eight years as the senior civilian leader for Asset Management at two NAVFAC commands, Southwest and Far East.
He was responsible for master planning, project development, real estate, public-private partnerships, geographic information mapping, and real property accountability for Navy land and facilities valued at more than $100 billion across Japan, Korea, Singapore, Diego Garcia and the southwestern U.S.
James’ background includes nine years in planning director positions at U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps installations in Japan following his start in city planning, with six years as associate planner in Oklahoma City.
According to his LinkedIn profile, he spent nearly five years in Jacksonville as asset management team lead for NAVFAC from December 2010 to October 2015.
“His successful career brings a fresh perspective and a wealth of knowledge to Jacksonville, both of which will benefit our citizens now and into the future,” Deegan said in a news release.
James is responsible for all operations of the city’s Planning and Development Department, including the Community Planning, Current Planning, Development Services, Building Inspection and Transportation Planning departments, and the Office of Resiliency.
James is a member of the American Planning Association. Career recognitions include Outstanding Community Planner for the U.S. Air Force and the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal.