IRVINE, CA (August 20, 2015):  City Manager Sean Joyce has appointed a new Director of Community Development. Susan Emery begins work in Irvine on September 8.

The department is entrusted with planning the City’s residential communities and commercial/industrial centers, as well as ensuring construction complies with building codes.

“I am excited to have someone with experience and a willingness to tackle both the daily and long-term challenges of a growing City,” said Joyce.

Chosen from a nationwide recruitment, Emery served more than 20 years at the City of Garden Grove.

Most recently, Emery held the position of Assistant City Manager/Community Development Director for Garden Grove, Orange County’s fifth largest city with a population of nearly 180,000 residents. Emery directed the update of the City’s General Plan and the Mixed Use Zoning Code and led the 2013 “Re:Imagine Garden Grove” campaign.

Emery’s background includes experience in planning services and economic development. She has helped with budget development, coordinated the development of new projects and built relationships with the Korean and Vietnamese Chambers of Commerce.

In her new role with the City of Irvine, Emery will address key priorities such as residential, business and parkland construction. She will report directly to City Manager Joyce.

Emery, an Irvine resident since 1997, earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Cal State Long Beach and master’s degree in public administration from Cal State Fullerton. Her career also includes stints at the City of Huntington Beach and the City of Santa Ana.