Cities
Burien Community Development Director Liz Stead will leave the city Sept. 18 to become Permitting Division Director for King County’s Department of Local Services.
King County announced Stead’s appointment Sept. 10. In her new position, she will help oversee permitting activity serving about 250,000 residents and businesses in unincorporated King County.
Stead joined Burien on April 22, 2024. When she was hired, the city said her immediate priority was guiding adoption of Burien’s 20-year Comprehensive Plan and related code changes.
In Burien, Stead’s Community Development Department oversees planning, building permits, land-use review, code enforcement and related development work. Before joining Burien, she spent 16 years with the City of Bellevue, including as Urban Design Planning Manager and Land Use Director.
Stead holds master’s degrees in public administration and architecture.
King County said Stead will replace Mark Rowe, who has been interim permitting director since the beginning of the year. Rowe will return to his role as permitting deputy director.
The Highline Journal asked Burien whether it plans to appoint an interim director, whether recruitment for the position has begun and how major planning and development projects already underway will be handled. We will update this story as we learn more.
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