William Gilchrist, New Orleans’ former senior planner and the new head of planning in Oakland. Image via City of Oakland

Oakland has hired William Gilchrist, a senior New Orleans planner, as its new planning and building director, according to Biz Journals.

Gilchrist has 35 years of planning experience, and was most recently the director of place-based planning in New Orleans.  In that role since 2010, he led the city’s design and development strategy.  Prior to coming to New Orleans, he was at design firm AECOM in Atlanta.  Gilchrist has master’s degrees in architecture and management, and a bachelor’s degree in design from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In his new role, Gilchrist will oversee a 142 person department that reviews proposed real estate projects and approves building permits in Oakland.   Gilchrist will begin work on Sept. 11.