Metro chief operating officer Martha Bennett announced today she has appointed Christopher Wierzbicki to serve as the next director of Metro’s Planning and Development Department beginning April 29.
"Chris has the skills and experience to move our region forward," Bennett said. "He will help us forge stronger partnerships with residents, organizations, businesses and local, regional and state governments to move the region’s plans into action."
Wierzbicki currently is the deputy director of the King County (Wash.) Road Services Division of the Department of Transportation, where he helped develop a strategic plan to guide future investment in the county’s roads and bridges, and assisted county leaders in developing new funding strategies for operations and maintenance of the transportation system.
"I'm looking forward to working with every city, county and town in the region to achieve not only their own aspirations but the region’s goals as well," Wierzbicki said. "Metro works on the things that make the Portland area such a great place to live and work, and we have many challenges ahead as a region."
"Chris has the unique experience with both planning and transportation we need to pave the way to a healthy and prosperous future," said Bennett. "He is both an engineer and a planner, so he understands how community aspirations and on-the-ground-projects intersect."
Prior to his work in King County, Wierzbicki worked for more than six years in Bainbridge Island, Wash., where he managed land use planning and key projects such as the reconstruction of Winslow Way and two major shoreline restoration and park projects.
"Chris has demonstrated experience turning plans into real projects," Bennett said. "He is admired for his intelligence, patience, strong communication, technical expertise and integrity. Chris knows how to listen to diverse opinions, to carve out a solution that really works on the ground, and to keep people informed as projects move ahead."
"I have a passion for helping people build great communities," Wierzbicki said. "It’s an incredible opportunity to help the Portland region’s 25 cities and three counties write the next chapter in how make a great place."
Wierzbicki has a bachelor of civil engineering from Villanova University and a Masters of Community and Regional Planning from Temple University.
Metro crosses city limits and county lines to build a resilient economy, keep nature close by and respond to a changing climate. Representing a diverse population of 1.5 million people in 25 cities and three counties, Metro's directly elected council gives voters a voice in decisions about how the region grows and communities prosper.