Following an internal competitive process, the City of Temecula selected Senior Planner Luke Watson to serve as the Interim Community Development Director while the City recruits to appoint a permanent Director. The vacancy resulted from former Community Development Director Armando Villa’s departure. Villa accepted a promotional opportunity with the County of Imperial. Watson began his new assignment on June 10th and will be responsible for overseeing all divisions of the department, including Planning, Code Enforcement, and Building and Safety.
Watson has been with the City for 10 years, holding various management positions within the Community Development Department, including the areas of redevelopment, long-range planning, economic development, government grants, housing and solid waste. Watson has a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Public Administration from San Diego State University, and a Masters of Business Administration from Point Loma Nazarene University.
The City anticipates announcing a permanent Community Development Director at the conclusion of the ongoing recruitment later this year.
