Petaluma picks new community development director

When he isn’t out exploring the Northern California region with his family or attending his children’s sporting events at the local ball fields, Brian Oh is helping shape the future of the Petaluma and greater Sonoma County communities.

Oh was recently hired as Petaluma’s new community development director and officially started at the position Dec. 19. He was publicly introduced at the City Council meeting that evening.

“I could not be more excited to support the City Council on issues that matter most to the Petaluma community,” Oh told the Argus-Courier. “The city’s agenda on housing, climate and building resiliency are transformational and we have a lot of work ahead to accomplish these goals.”

Oh comes to the city of Petaluma after serving as Sonoma County’s comprehensive planning manager. There, he oversaw initiatives like the completion of the Sonoma Developmental Center Specific Plan, the regulation of short-term rentals and updates to the county’s General Plan.

Prior to working for the county, Oh began his career more than 10 years ago on the pilot team for the international “Blue Zones” concept that aims to create happier and healthier neighborhoods around the world.

Oh also worked for the city of Los Angeles as a land use and transportation deputy and lead transportation planner, jumpstarting projects like the creation of the city’s first protected bike lane, and then worked as the senior community health planner for the County of San Mateo.

“I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to work on some incredible initiatives and built a number of critical skills along the way with customer service as the foundation,” Oh said. “These experiences have strengthened my ability to listen, find solutions and make them happen.”

Now, as he takes on community development planning responsibilities in Petaluma, Oh aims to focus on “creating healthier, more inclusive neighborhoods” in the city, and said he commits himself to maintaining enthusiasm, trustworthiness and inclusivity in his role, as he does in his everyday life.

“These are values I try to put into practice every day when I come to work, and the values I will bring when working with our community who will be a critical part of achieving our goals around climate, housing and building resiliency,” he said.

Among other duties, community development directors build consensus within the residential, business and nonprofit communities while implementing a city’s planning and development-related activities.

Amelia Parreira is a staff writer for the Argus-Courier. She can be reached at amelia.parreira@arguscourier.com or 707-521-5208.