New PCD director eager to get to work
Published 2:51 pm Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Auburn’s new director of Department of Planning and Community Development hit the ground running Monday, her first full day on the job.
“I’m looking forward to working hard to benefit the community,” said Nancy Welch, for the past 10 years director of Community Development for the City of Wauwatosa, Wis.
One of her first priorities will be working out the City’s comprehensive plan.
“I think it’s really going to pull the community together to create that community vision. I hope everybody will participate in it because I think it’s important for everybody to have that input,” Welch said.
Welch led her former city through the development of a new comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance. Welch also directed the creation of the UW-Milwaukee Innovation Park, the restoration of that city’s historic Little Red Store and the development of the GE Health care Clinical Systems headquarters.
In addition, Welch obtained a $600,000 Brownfield grant and a $5.4 million grant for a business accelerator from the federal Economic Development Administration.
Welch earned her bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College in La Crosse, Wis., and a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Welch has also worked for the cities of West Allis, Wis., and Des Moines, Iowa.
She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and is certified as a Housing Development Finance Professional from the National Development Council.
Welch is married with two children: an adult son and a daughter in high school. She has two rescued cats and one rescued dog.
“I will miss Wisconsin, but I think it’s pretty nice here,” Welch said. “I still have big water and trees, which is something my husband was very much interested in. I’ll still root for the Packers, sorry. But I don’t think I’ll miss the 30-below winters.”
Auburn’s former planning and community development director, Kevin Snyder, left in February after four years to accept the top planning job in Sedona, Ariz.
