Zoning Administrator

Zoning Administrator — City of Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids, MI | November 2022 – Present

• Administered the municipal zoning ordinance for a city of 200,000 residents, evaluating over 450 commercial and residential site plan applications annually for compliance with land use regulations.
• Led the technical review committee for 85 major development projects, coordinating cross-departmental reviews with engineering, environmental, and traffic safety teams to reduce review bottlenecks by 18%.
• Implemented an online permitting system (EnerGov), which reduced average zoning permit issuance times from 14 days to 9 days, improving departmental administrative efficiency by 35%.
• Investigated and resolved 130+ public zoning complaints and violation notices annually, achieving an 88% voluntary compliance rate without requiring formal legal escalation.

Assistant Zoning Administrator — Cascade Charter Township

Cascade, MI | August 2020 – October 2022

• Processed and approved 320+ zoning compliance permits, home occupation applications, and sign permits annually, ensuring alignment with local township master plans and building safety codes.
• Prepared detailed staff reports and legal notices for 24 Zoning Board of Appeals hearings per year, presenting technical recommendations to board members to facilitate public land-use decisions.
• Conducted 150+ on-site inspections annually to verify compliance with setbacks, landscaping plans, and lighting requirements, identifying and correcting 45 code violations.
• Drafted 12 comprehensive zoning ordinance text amendments to update non-conforming use standards and green infrastructure provisions, modernizing regulations for a township of 18,000 residents.

Zoning administration, Land use planning, Site plan review, Ordinance enforcement, GIS mapping, Public hearing facilitation, Permitting software, FEMA regulations, ArcGIS, EnerGov, Laserfiche, Municipal government, Intergovernmental coordination, Conflict resolution

Zoning Code Modernization Initiative

Role: Project Lead

Tools: ArcGIS, EnerGov, Google Workspace

Directed the overhaul of the city's commercial zoning code text, simplifying 45 outdated land-use tables and reducing variance request volume by 22% over 12 months.

Floodplain Overlay Mapping Project

Role: Zoning Representative

Tools: ArcGIS Pro, FEMA Hazus, Laserfiche

Collaborated on a 6-month watershed remapping project, updating local zoning maps for 1,200 properties and achieving a 15% reduction in flood insurance rating classifications.

• Certified Zoning Official (CZO) (2021)
• Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) (2023)

• Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Conversational)
• Volunteer Work: Member of Grand Rapids Habitat for Humanity site selection committee (2022-present)
• Availability: 2 weeks notice