NEWS RELEASE
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NEWS RELEASE |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
February 20, 2002 |
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CARY, NC – After a nationwide search, former Town of Cary Planning Director Jeffery G. Ulma will return to Cary. Ulma left the town on October 26, 2001 to become a Senior Associate in the new Research Triangle area office of Clarion Associates, a land-use consulting firm with offices in Denver, Fort Collins, and Snowmass Village, Colorado, and affiliate offices in Chicago, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia. "While we interviewed several good candidates, Jeff remained the best fit for Cary. We really wanted him back, and we’re glad it’s happening," said Town Manager Bill Coleman. Under Ulma’s leadership, Cary became North Carolina’s municipal leader of innovative smart growth initiatives, including Cary’s Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance, the Open Space & Historic Resources Plan, and the Growth Management Plan. Ulma also oversaw the Town’s 2001 redistricting effort and a 1998 special census as well as the development of Cary’s Town Center Area Plan, the Southeast Gateway Area Plan, and the completion of the Land Use Plan. Regarding the return, Ulma, 44, said that, while short-lived, his experience in the private sector was "exciting and rewarding". But in the end, the travel and the isolation from staff teams combined to pull him back into public service. "Clarion is a great company, with innovative planning and zoning projects across the country. I appreciate the opportunity they gave me," said Ulma, "but I’m thankful to be able to come back home to Cary." Said Chris Duerksen, Managing Director of Clarion Associates, "Jeff Ulma is a blue-chip person and professional. All of us at Clarion will miss him. We, however, understand and support his commitment to the public sector and desire to work in a larger organization, especially Cary with its ambitious growth manage-ment programs. I am confident Jeff will continue to provide great leadership on behalf of the town in its planning initiatives, and look forward to working with him in the future." Ulma originally joined the Town of Cary on July 8, 1996 after having served as the Planning Director for Pitt County, North Carolina from August 1987 to June 1996. He will return to Cary on March 25. Between now and then, Associate Planning Director Ricky Barker will continue to serve as interim Planning Director. Ulma holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in urban planning form the University of Arizona in Tucson. He is a member of the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners. ### |
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PRIMARY CONTACTS: |
Jeff Ulma, Clarion Associates, (919) 467-5568 |
