Fort Wayne selects new community development director
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Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry announced Friday that Jonathan Leist will take over as director of the city’s Community Development Division. Leist succeeds Nancy Townsend, who retired earlier this month after 33 years of working in city government.
During her tenure, Townsend helped oversee riverfront development, several public-private partnerships and market-rate housing development in the city. Some of those projects include The Riverfront at Promenade Park, The Lofts at Headwaters Park, The Bradley hotel and the Ash Skyline Plaza.
Leist moves over from his position as deputy director of redevelopment. After joining the city in early 2021, he has been involved in several of the projects Townsend helped lead.
“Jonathan possesses the skill sets and leadership abilities that I was looking for to oversee such an important division,” Henry said in a news release. “Fort Wayne is leading the way in so many areas throughout the community and Jonathan will be at the forefront of helping to ensure that our positive momentum and investments continue.”
Beyond Fort Wayne, Leist has 20 years of local government leadership experience, including serving as the solid waste district director of Huntington County and the town manager in Culver, Indiana.