Ella Wise

GREENFIELD — The city of Greenfield recently welcomed Ella Wise as the new director of the Department of Planning and Development. Wise holds an undergraduate degree in environmental studies and a master’s degree in city planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and has more than a decade of experience in planning and policy.

The city conducted a search for a new Planning and Development director following the retirement of Eric Twarog, who has led the department since 2009.

“We are thankful for Eric’s many years of service to the city and community of Greenfield,” Mayor Virginia Desorgher said. “I am thrilled to welcome Ella Wise to the team. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge and will play a pivotal role in pursuing Greenfield’s ambitious goals for housing development and affordability, sustainability, and conservation.”

A native of a small town in the Hudson Valley, Wise is interested in the human relationship to place and how places can create community and provide meaning. Her recent professional roles include senior planner for Boston’s Metropolitan Area Planning Council, where she authored a variety of planning documents in areas such as master planning, open space and recreation, and economic development. Most recently, she contributed to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s vision for a more transparent planning and development review process as the planning & development review coordination manager for Boston’s Planning Department.

“Greenfield is a special place, with its historic downtown and walkable streets, flowing rivers and prime farmland, community college and hospital, and — more than anything — its engaged community,” Wise said. “I’m honored to join as its next Planning and Development director, and am grateful for my predecessor Eric’s many years of service to this city.”

Wise is currently transitioning into her role with the city. Twarog’s last day will be Dec. 19.