Dave Dunn expands role at Olmsted County – Director of Housing and Planning departments

As transitions occur in our organization, it provides an opportunity to strategically evaluate our structure and determine whether modifications should be made to align with our long-term vision. To that end, effective mid-July 2023, Dave Dunn will be expanding his role as director of both Olmsted County’s Housing and Planning departments.

“When Ben Griffith left his role as Olmsted County Planning director in May 2023, we analyzed the options before us and determined that aligning both Planning and Housing under the same director would be beneficial for a variety of reasons,” explained Deputy County Administrator Pete Giesen. “It brings together our county’s land use, transportation planning, and housing services – three closely-related areas reliant upon each other for success. This approach will allow us to be more cohesive, strategic, and innovative.”

Two of the three lowest-ranking community characteristics in the 2022 Olmsted County Resident Survey were the availability of affordable housing and public transit.

“Under Dave’s leadership of these two departments, we will seek countywide solutions to these issues impacting Olmsted County residents,” said Giesen.

This expanded position allows Dunn the opportunity to apply his expertise in both Housing and Planning. Dunn has a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Iowa. He has experience working for the City of Des Moines as a senior city planner and worked for three years as assistant planning director at the Rochester-Olmsted County Planning Department before becoming the Olmsted County Housing director in 2016.

Organizational structure changes
While Housing will remain a part of the county’s Health, Housing, and Human Services (HHH) division, Dunn will now report directly to Giesen through the county’s Physical Development division. He will maintain close collaboration with the Health, Housing, and Human Services division. Associate Director positions will be added to both the Housing and Planning departments, one of which is a backfill for Ben Griffith’s position.

The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) team, formerly a part of Planning, will transition to the Public Works department. GIS Manager Jan Chezick will begin reporting to Public Works Director Ben Johnson.