Today City Manager John Blair announces the appointment of Jason Kluck as Director of the Planning and Land Use Department. Mr. Kluck has been serving as Interim Director of the department since last July.

The Planning and Land Use department addresses the needs of our citizens by providing information, participation, enforcement, and assistance related to the City’s land development code and policies. Departmental responsibilities include building permitting and inspections, engineering, historic preservation, transportation (MPO), and planning.

Director Kluck’s priorities include filling vital vacant positions and advancing updates to the Land Development Code, General Plan, Green Building Code, and shepherding the City’s Growth Optimization Plan to align policies with goals for sustainability, accessibility, transparency, and affordability.

Director Kluck says: “Responsible development must be accomplished with an in-depth, public process. I have a deep desire to help preserve the character, charm, and livability of Santa Fe while understanding that this is a living, evolving city.”

Director of Economic and Community Development Rich Brown says Kluck’s promotion will provide leadership stability in the department and allow Kluck to shift from an operational focus to a strategic one: “Having Jason as permanent director will help us build capacity in the department to meet the growing demand for development and construction in Santa Fe. This will continue to be even more important as we move toward our goal of becoming a more smart and sustainable city.”

City Manager John Blair says: “The Director of Planning and Land Use is one of the most consequential roles in City government in terms of shaping the cityscape of Santa Fe for decades to come. Jason Kluck has already demonstrated that he has the vision and ability to execute on this enormous responsibility.”

He adds that Kluck’s promotion is the latest in a series of key hires the City has made in recent weeks designed to improve access to services, shorten response times, and modernize city government.

Kluck has a Master’s degree in architecture from the University of Texas at Arlington. He started with the City in 2009 at the Public Works Department and was promoted in 2019 to Assistant Director of Planning and Land Use, where he oversaw development branch operations, including the building permitting, inspections, and engineering divisions. In July 2021 Kluck assumed the role of Interim Director when then-director Elias Isaacson resigned