Woolwich Township announces new Director of Development Services

Woolwich, ON – The Township of Woolwich is pleased to announce the appointment of Deanne Friess as Woolwich’s new Director of Development Services.

“We are pleased at the end of a competitive recruitment process to be welcoming Deanne to the position of Director of Development Services”, said CAO David Brenneman, “We believe her leadership and experience in the areas of development and policy planning will be crucial as the Township continues to navigate the significant growth and development that is planned for Woolwich.”

Deanne comes to Woolwich with a wealth of knowledge and experience, and over fifteen (15) years of expertise within the Planning, Development Planning and Policy Planning departments at the City of Cambridge.   In this new role Deanne will oversee our Development Services department which is comprised of three (3) Divisions: Building, Development Engineering, and Planning.

As the new Director of Development Services, Deanne will lead her team to foster strong relationships within our community to support both economic growth and development while continuing to provide core services to our community.

The Director of Development Services oversees the Building Division which reviews building permit applications to ensure building construction complies with the Building Code Act and other applicable legislation; to ensure we continue to have healthy and safe communities, that construction is safe and in compliance with Provincial legislation.  Building is also responsible to attend emergency sites to ensure safety of buildings and structures, such as from major fire or building damage.

The Development Engineering Division is responsible for reviewing and overseeing the construction of new municipal infrastructure, that comes from new development and growth.  In her new role, Deanne will provide guidance and support our goal of ensuring new growth occurs in a responsible, efficient, and effective way that is in the best interest of the municipality.

With her planning knowledge Deanne will assist the Planning Division in their efforts to coordinate and oversee development and growth within the municipality.  Planning develops policies through the Township’s Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw which among other things, guides growth and thereby contributes to the strategy of providing for well-managed, balanced and sustainable growth.

“I am very excited to be joining the Township of Woolwich, as I believe the Township has unique attributes which make it a great place to live, visit and work in”, said Deanne Friess. “I look forward to building relationships with the building and development community and working with a professional team to promote sustainable growth and balanced development that meets the community’s needs.”

Deanne officially assumes her new role on November 8^th, 2021.

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Media contacts:
Rae Ann Bauman, Corporate Communications
Phone: 519-669-6021
Email: rbauman@woolwich.ca