Allison Ladd (MCP ‘01) has been named Newark’s next director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development, as the city attempts to build on its investments and reinvent itself. The city has nearly $5 billion in economic development projects in the works.
“The mayor has a bold vision for the city as far as economic development, equity and growth and being able to have the residents who have lived here be able to stay in the city,” said Ladd in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
Ladd, who earned a master’s degree in community planning from UMD, currently the deputy director and chief of staff of the Department of Housing and Community Development in Washington, D.C., has two decades of experience in urban planning and economic development. She will begin her new role in August.
“It was an honor… to help identify a like-minded and progressive leader with deep experience and a comfort working within an urban environment who is equipped to advance equitable economic development. We found that and more in Allison,” said Aisha Glover, head of the city’s search committee and CEO of the Newark Alliance, told ROI-NJ.
Ladd has worked for Washington, D.C.’s Department of Housing and Community Development since 2015. Prior to that, she was the associate executive director of the D.C. Housing Finance Agency for eight years, and the chief of staff for the Maryland Governor’s Commission on Housing Policy. Ladd’s housing expertise was an important factor in her hiring, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“Allison is a leader in smart community and city planning and has consistently shown a commitment to improving housing equity and affordability,” said Don Linebaugh, interim dean of UMD’s School of Architecture Planning and Preservation. “As Newark looks to further develop and prosper, the city couldn’t be in better hands.”
--From ROI-NJ