Debra Stark, who has served as Phoenix’s planning director for the past five years, will be Mayor Phil Gordon’s next chief of staff, he confirmed Friday.

Stark replaces Toni Maccarone who, after a year and a half, is returning to her former role as director of the Public Information Office. Acting PIO Director Deborah Sedillo Dugan will assume her old job as PHX 11 TV station manager.

Also on Friday, Deputy City Manager Cynthia Seelhammer announced in a staff e-mail that she would be retiring at the end of March. She has been serving as acting water director, and was one of five deputy city managers.
Gordon said he had tried to bring in Stark as early as two years ago. She has had significant interaction with the public, as well as experience with zoning, economic development and public-safety permitting, he said.

“I thought Debra Stark would make a great chief of staff and a great addition to the Mayor’s Office,” Gordon said.

Stark’s appointment comes at a time when the Planning Department is being consolidated with Development Services because of budget cuts.
Before coming to Phoenix, Stark had served as a planning manager and community-development director in Peoria. She also was the planning manager for Maricopa County, and started her career as a Phoenix planner.

Stark noted the similarities between working in the Mayor’s Office and in planning, where she is often caught in the middle of battles over height variances, zoning changes, even a church’s efforts to feed the homeless.
“One thing about planning and zoning is it is political,” Stark said.