City Hires New Planning Manager

Rebeca Guerra, previously the Planning and Code Enforcement Division manager in the Houston suburb of Tomball, has joined the City of San Angelo as its Planning manager.

Guerra replaces AJ Fawver, who was recently promoted to planning and development administrator in a restructuring of the Development Services Department. Guerra will supervise a staff of city planners; oversee the composition and updating of ordinances related to zoning, signs and subdivisions; lead short-term and long-range planning; and serve as the staff liaison to the Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustments, and Design & Historic Review Commission.

She will be integrally involved in historic preservation efforts, citizen engagement and transportation planning, the latter involving work on the City’s Major Thoroughfare Plan.

“This is an exciting time to be involved in planning in San Angelo,” Guerra said. “There are so many intriguing possibilities with new commercial construction, expansion of residential housing, and development in downtown and at Lake Nasworthy. I’m looking forward to the challenge of helping guide San Angelo’s growth in a productive and sustainable fashion.”

Guerra led planning efforts in the growing community of Tomball for more than two years. From 2003-12, she worked as a senior planner and green project coordinator in Orange County, Florida. Guerra is accredited through the American Institute of Certified Planners, the planning profession’s highest certification. After earning a bachelor’s degree in international affairs at Florida State University, she completed graduate work at Florida Atlantic University in urban and regional planning with specializations in environmental planning and remote sensing. She is an accredited professional in Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, possesses a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design professional designation, and is a registered code enforcement officer with the state of Texas.

“Rebeca comes to us from a community that’s experiencing its own boom, so we’re confident she can assist in managing the growth we’re seeing here in San Angelo,” Development Services Director Patrick Howard said. “We also love her background of incorporating ‘green’ initiatives into development. We hope to implement some of those sustainable and eco-friendly concepts.”