Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman announced that Steven Kaii-Ziegler will be the new Director of the Office of Planning and Zoning, beginning July 31. Mr. Kaii-Ziegler lives in Annapolis and has three decades of planning experience in the region. Phil Hager, the county’s current planning director, will move to a new role working directly with the County Executive’s Office on redevelopment projects.
“Steve is a forward-thinking professional who has led the planning offices in four Maryland counties,” said County Executive Pittman. “He is an innovative leader with expertise in climate change, smart growth, sustainable infrastructure, and community engagement. Steve shares my passion for land preservation, environmental protection, and sustainable growth, and he knows how to get there.”
Mr. Kaii-Ziegler is currently the director of the Charles County Department of Planning and Growth Management. During his tenure, he supervised the adoption of small area plans and oversaw a major overhaul of the development review process to improve efficiency and reduce review times. The county also adopted a Watershed Conservation District that down-zoned approximately 36,000 acres to preserve Mattawoman Creek.
Prior to his work with Charles County, Mr. Kaii-Ziegler was a supervisor for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and a division chief for the City of Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning. During his career, he has also served as planning director for Frederick, Harford, and Queen Anne’s counties.
“As a longtime Annapolis resident, I am pleased to bring my experience home to Anne Arundel County,” said Mr. Kaii-Ziegler. “I look forward to working with County Executive Pittman and the dedicated staff at the Office of Planning and Zoning to implement a smart and sustainable vision for the future of the place where I live.”
Mr. Hager has served as Planning and Zoning director since July 2017.
“Phil has been an outstanding public servant to our county,” said County Executive Pittman. “I thank Phil for his service and look forward to working with him in his new role.”
County Executive Pittman also announced a town hall meeting to introduce the new director on August 1 at 6:00 p.m. at Severna Park High School. The meeting will feature remarks by Mr. Pittman and Mr. Kaii-Ziegler, followed by a question and answer session.
