Mary Lilly Smith named director of planning and development

The city of Springfield announced today the promotion of Mary Lilly Smith to director of planning and development.

The current economic development director, Smith will succeed the retiring Ralph Rognstad on Jan. 26, according to a news release. The city announced Rognstad’s retirement yesterday.

“Mary is an incredible asset to the city and to our entire community,” City Manager Greg Burris said in the release. “We are excited for her to step into this expanded role and continue efforts to improve Springfield’s reputation as a great place to live and work.”

In her new position, Smith will earn a salary of $111,945. She’ll be responsible for managing Springfield development review activities.

“Springfield has a rich history of strong, visionary planning directors, most notably Gene Boles, Fred May and retiring director Ralph Rognstad,” Smith said in the release. “I intend to continue their good work and, at the same time, focus on our department’s core functions of facilitating development, revitalizing neighborhoods and increasing investment and jobs for our community.”

Smith has worked for the city in a variety of roles for 32 years.[[In-content Ad]]