The City of Schertz welcomes Brian C. James as its new Executive Director of Development. In his role, James oversees a number of different departments, including Planning, Inspections, Engineering, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Parks and Recreation and the Capital Improvements Program.
Previous Employment
Previously, James worked for the City of San Antonio for more than two years and held three positions, all dealing with improved development or redevelopment in the city. He gained valuable experience working on a long list of projects for the Alamo City over a nearly 30-month period.
Brian's Statement
"I am very excited about joining the City of Schertz as Executive Director of Development," James said. "Having worked in growing communities in the past, I understand how important it is to maintain the unique sense of place that attracted people to Schertz in the first place. Maintaining all the things that make Schertz so special as the community continues to grow requires planning for the future to ensure that things like roads, parks and services meet the needs of the residential and business communities.
"I really look forward to being part of the team in Schertz that is doing so many great things," James continued. "The fact that the City is working on so many initiatives does mean that it will be a lot of hard work, but that also makes it very rewarding to be part of the success that is to come. I think my backgrounds and experience will allow me to make a positive contribution. Probably the best part about starting a new job in a community is that I will get to spend a lot time meeting new people - residents, business owners and community leaders to find out what they like about the community and what opportunities they see ahead of us."
Career History
James served as a redevelopment officer for the City of San Antonio's Center City Development Office. In that role, he worked to revitalize San Antonio's Eastside by focusing on improving delivery of city services and development of catalytic reinvestment projects.
Before that, he was Assistant Director of the Department of Planning and Community Development for the City of San Antonio. His job included supervising the City's Housing, Community Reinvestment and Policy, Research and Outreach units.
James returned to his hometown to begin his career with the City of San Antonio in December 2009 as the Assistant Director of the Center City Development Office.
Previously, he was Deputy Director of Development Services for the City of McKinney near the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He worked in McKinney from March 1998 to December 2009 and held several positions including Planner, Senior Planner and Director of Planning.
Personal History
James is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. James, a San Antonio Clark High School graduate, earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1992, his Master of Public Administration from UTSA in 1997 and is currently pursuing his Ph. D. at the University of Texas at Dallas. James lives in San Antonio with his wife and two children.
