NORTHAMPTON — After conducting a national candidate search, Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra announced Friday that she has appointed Carolyn Misch to lead the Office of Planning and Sustainability.
Misch has served as interim director since the June retirement of director Wayne Feiden, who held the position since 1997 and worked for the city for 33 years.
In a statement announcing the appointment, Sciarra said that Misch “was the best and most qualified candidate by far. She has the vision, the experience, and the temperament to guide Northampton as it implements its progressive planning agenda and as we work to meet our climate change goals.”
Sciarra cited Misch’s nearly 30 years of experience in the planning field at the regional, state and local levels. She will submit the appointment to the City Council for confirmation and it will appear on the Aug. 18 meeting agenda for a committee referral.
Misch, a 22-year employee of the city, holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Rochester in New York and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Colorado, Denver, with a concentration in economic development.
Misch was assistant director under Feiden since 2020. Before that, she was the city’s senior planner and permits manager, and also worked as a planner in two North Carolina cities — Raleigh and Cary — and for the state of Colorado.
She said she was “honored” that Sciarra picked her for the job.
“For the last 22 years, I have enjoyed working with community members and representatives to develop and implement a variety of data-driven plans and projects through a comprehensive approach,” Misch said in a statement. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead this department as we continue this work to implement the community’s vision for a sustainable future.”
The mayor’s office said the Office of Planning and Sustainability’s mission is to “identify and implement a community vision for a sustainable and resilient future with a healthy and equitable economy and environment.”
The office contributes to the city’s climate resilience, open space planning, conservation, agriculture, transportation, housing equity, accessibility, economic development and more, and interacts with virtually every other government entity.
In an interview, Misch said she has “big shoes to fill. We’ve got a lot of work to do. Everyone needs to have all hands on deck to address our climate targets.”
“There are some big projects that were started under Wayne’s leadership and we’re definitely on target to continue those,” she said, including the effort to find a location for the proposed Community Resilience Hub, the redesign of Main Street, and ongoing improvements and upgrades to the multi-use trail system.
“Those are really important for the city,” she said.
The department is seeking new funding sources for clean energy technology and to help city buildings convert from fossil fuels. Misch said the city needs to continue its work to improve housing equity, a problem that has a regional reach and affects both city residents and those who want to move to Northampton.
Sciarra said she conducted a national search for the new director and that a screening committee unanimously recommended Misch. Members of the committee included city councilors, department heads, citizens and Easthampton City Planner Jeffrey Bagg.
In 2014, Misch was named Professional Planner of the Year by the Massachusetts chapter of the American Planning Association.