As Economic Development Chief Resigns, Will Another Consultant Take Over at Dallas City Hall?

Dr. Eric A. Johnson (no relation to Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson), currently chief of Economic Development and Neighborhood Services has announced his resignation, effective Jan. 28, 2020.  This makes the third chief of Economic Development to leave under T.C. Broadnax’s almost four-year tenure as Dallas city manager.

Dr. Johnson came to Dallas in March of 2020. He was initially overseeing Economic Development and Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization.  During his tenure, he has also oversaw Planning and Urban Design and Sustainable Development Construction. His responsibilities and duties at Dallas grew as the leadership at the city saw significant departures. 

Neva Dean, long-time assistant director in Sustainable Development, retired last June. She was closely followed by the retirement of Peer Chacko, head of Planning and Urban Design. David Cossum, long-time director and executive in Sustainable Development, chose retirement soon thereafter.  Then–director Kris Sweckard was reassigned. 

Currently, the department is led by Dr. Johnson and outside consultant William G. Mundinger, who holds the title “executive in residence.”  As of now, that leaves Mr. Mundinger in charge of Sustainable Development.

More Questions Than Answers

With Dr. Johnson’s departure, more questions than answers have arisen.  Who is now in charge of Economic Development at City Hall?  Will they be overseen by a consultant like Sustainable Development?  And what becomes of the direction of the Economic Development policy? 

Dr. Johnson will be headed to the Twin Cities to oversee the nonprofit Aeon as president and CEO.  Aeon, per their website, is a “nonprofit developer, owner, and manager of affordable housing in the Twin Cities.”  The relocation will be a homecoming of sorts.  Prior to Dallas, he served as Community Development Director for the City of Bloomington, Minnesota, overseeing real estate assessing, building and inspections, environmental health and housing inspections, special projects, planning and development review, housing and redevelopment authority, and the port authority.

“I am thrilled to return to the Twin Cities community to join Aeon’s team,” Johnson said in Aeon’s press release, which is available here. We reached out to Johnson’s office at Dallas City Hall for comment but did not receive word by press time.

Dr. Johnson leaves at Dallas a legacy that includes implementing the Affordable Housing Policy initially created by his predecessor but ultimately funded under his guard, and the creation of the comprehensive economic development policy that includes significant changes to how the Economic Development department is run at Dallas City Hall.  These are changes he now hands over to an undetermined leader who will need to answer and address a lot of development issues in front of the City of Dallas.

Will it be a consultant that takes over his policy, too?