Evanston’s interim city manager, Luke Stowe, has named Sarah Flax interim community development director for the city.
This appointment will be effective Wednesday with the departure of Community Development Director Johanna Nyden, who is leaving to take the same role with the Village of Skokie.
Flax has worked in housing policy, program development and management for over 20 years.
She joined the City of Evanston in 2006 as the Community Development Block Grant administrator and has served as the housing and grants manager since 2017.
Flax has worked on the development and implementation of the City’s affordable housing strategies, including inclusionary housing and accessory dwelling units, as well as on an $18 million Neighborhood Stabilization Program grant to revitalize neighborhoods hard hit by foreclosures.
She’s also overseen use of the city’s affordable housing fund and manages federal entitlement grants.
And she is on the planning team for Evanston’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic using funding from the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan Act.
Previously Flax worked in the non-profit sector as the McGaw YMCA development director, and in advertising at Leo Burnett.
“Sarah is a dedicated, hard-working, and talented manager who also has a wealth of information on many topics critical to core city initiatives. I look forward to working with her in her new capacity,” Stowe said in a statement.
Very happy to see this!