The Charles County Commissioners are pleased to announce the selection of Mr. Steven Ball as Planning Director in the Department of Planning and Growth Management.
   
Mr. Ball started his employment with Charles County Government on June 29.  As Planning Director, Mr. Ball will manage and direct the County’s land use planning; manage the County’s environmental stewardship and regulation; manage the review of all development-related proposals for conformance with County ordinances and regulations; provide advice to the Commissioners, Board of Appeals, and Planning Commission on planning issues; and provide leadership and direction for planning activities for local County government.

Mr. Ball has more than 20 years professional experience as a project manager and planning leader. Most recently, he was President of Land Planning Systems, Inc., a land-use planning and development consulting firm in Port St. Lucie, Fla.  In addition to building the company from the ground up, Mr. Ball spearheaded more than 250 client projects and planning, zoning, and development applications with a 95% approval rating.

Previously, Mr. Ball was the Director of Planning & Zoning for the City of Port Lucie, Fla., an area with more than 100,000 residents.  In this position, he supervised a 14-person planning and zoning department and managed a $480,000 annual operating budget.  He was also responsible for directing long-term planning projects.

Mr. Ball’s extensive résumé also includes serving as Senior Planner for the Sarasota Planning Department in Sarasota County, Fla., Chief Planner for the City of Naples, Fla., and Planner in Coos County, Ore.

Mr. Ball holds a Master’s degree in Regional Planning from Washington State University and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Conservation from Kent State University.  He is a certified planner by the American Institute of Certified Planners, and an accredited professional by the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) US Green Building Council.