Springfield BDS director drops interim from title

Brock Rowe, the city of Springfield's interim director of Building Development Services since March, is taking the role on a permanent basis.

Rowe's appointment was announced in a news release issued this morning.

“We are excited to add Brock to our leadership team,” City Manager Jason Gage said in the release. “He is bright, energetic, engaging and ready to go. Brock is all about continuous process improvement and will do a terrific job serving our community."

Rowe, assistant director of BDS since May 2021, took on the interim role this year following the sudden departure of Dwayne Shmel, according to past reporting.

The BDS department at the city implements and monitors city, state and federal codes, and it works with developers and property owners on essential information, according to the city's website. The department has an annual budget of roughly $5 million, or about 5% of the general fund budget, and more than 35 employees.

“In the time I have spent at the city of Springfield, the staff has become my family. I value each staff member and I am very excited to lead this team,” Rowe said in the release. “I am excited about the future of Springfield and look forward to serving its citizens.”

Rowe will earn an annual salary of $125,000, according to the release.