Slidell hires new planning director

Less than a year after hiring one director of planning, Slidell will have another one starting Aug. 6.

Mayor Ben Morris said Randy Clement has been hired as the city’s new planning director.

This comes after Tim Jackson resigned from the Planning Department several months ago for unknown reasons. Jackson had taken over when Martin Bruno, who had run the department for over 20 years, retired.

Clement comes with a lot of experience, Morris said, and is a welcome addition to the city administration. Slidell is going through some big changes, chief among them developing Slidell Tomorrow, a master plan for development of the city over the next 20 years. There is also the revitalization of Olde Towne and the Fremaux Corridor, which stems from the opening of the new Interstate 10 interchange at Fremaux Drive and the $1 billion Summit Fremaux development that will bring more retail, housing and the UNO Tech Park to the city.

A graduate of the University of New Orleans with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 1971 and a master’s degree in urban planning in 1972, Clement has been involved in urban planning for the last 30 years. He is also a former sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

For the past seven years, Clement has served as the director of the Planning Department for the city of Kenner. Before he was named director, Clement was Kenner’s chief planner. He also worked as a city planner for the New Orleans City Planning Commission from 1973-75.

He spent 21 years working for the federal government as a community planner and environmental coordinator with the U.S. National Park Service. During his term with the Park Service, he worked in the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail near the nation’s capital, as a program manager for the Southwest Region of the Park Service in New Mexico and as superintendent of the Cane River Creole Historical Park in Natchitoches.

Morris said Clement was chosen out of four applicants for the position.

“His experience working with local governments is what convinced me to hire him,” Morris said.

Bruno said Clement is well qualified to take the reins of the Slidell Planning Department.

“He ran the Kenner department for a long time and did a very good job,” Bruno said.

During the search for a new planning director, Bruno has come out of retirement temporarily. Morris said Bruno comes to the Planning Office twice a week. Bruno said he doesn’t mind doing it but is glad Clement will be taking over Aug. 6.

Clement’s reputation is also lauded by Steven Villavaso, president of the urban planning consultants Villavaso and Associates that is helping the city, along with consultants Urban Systems, which is helping Slidell put together its master plan. Villavaso said he looks forward to working with Clement.

“He’s a very good guy,” Villavaso said.

Clement said he has been working with the city administration, getting ready for his new job. He said the mayor and City Council have done a good job in getting the city back on its feet after Hurricane Katrina. He said when he takes over, he will keep on the same track.

“I want to continue the economic development of the city,” Clement said.