Mayor John Ditslear is pleased to announce that Sarah Reed has accepted the position of Noblesville Planning Director and will begin her new position effective February 29. Reed replaces Christy Langley, who began as the city’s deputy mayor on January 1.

“I know Sarah will utilize her background in economic development like Christy did when she made the departmental move and provide a new perspective and in-depth look in some of our major planning/business areas within the city,” Ditslear said.

“Sarah has a great attitude and personality and has already established a good relationship within the city’s planning and engineering departments. She has more planning experience than I did when I started,” said Langley, who has served as planning director since 2011. “She’s fresh, talented and we’re excited to be working with her in this new role.”

Reed, who began working for Noblesville in February 2014, currently serves as assistant economic development director focusing on business retention and expansion, business attraction, workforce development and project management.  A certified planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners, Reed has 12 years of private and public sector planning experience prior to coming to Noblesville – including 2.5 years in the City of Westfield.

“The planning staff, under Christy’s leadership, has grown and developed into a highly efficient and productive team that I am proud to continue to lead into the future to carry out the mayor’s vision of Noblesville,” Reed said. “This is an exciting opportunity and I’m looking forward to working with a great team that already has an efficient, solid reputation in our business community.”

Reed earned her Bachelors of Urban Planning from the University of Cincinnati and received the “Outstanding Student in Planning Award” for her graduating class in 2003. After graduation she worked for an international engineering firm (Jacobs Engineering) for six years on small and large projects for the planning and traffic engineering departments in Cincinnati, Indianapolis and St. Louis. After Jacobs, she worked as a senior planner for Ground Rules Inc., a private sector consulting firm with a focus on zoning and subdivision control ordinances and comprehensive plans, for more than two years before moving to the Westfield Planning Department. 

“Economic development and planning work hand in hand. One cannot exist without the other. I am proud to be working for a community that not only understands the importance of a cohesive vision, but one that also implements the actions steps required to reach that vision,” said Reed. “I also thank Economic Development Director Judi Johnson for the knowledge and skills she taught me.”

Reed is a 2013 graduate of the Hamilton County Leadership Academy, a member of the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce Business Advocacy committee and serves on the Noblesville Schools Community Advisory Council and Hamilton County Transit Forum. She is currently enrolled in the Oklahoma University – Economic Development Institute and will graduate this year.