EAST LANSING, Mich. — East Lansing City Manager George Lahanas announced today that Tom Fehrenbach has been selected to serve as the new Director of the East Lansing Department of Planning, Building & Development.
Fehrenbach has served as the Community & Economic Development Administrator with the City of East Lansing since October 2017 and, prior to that, served as a Business Development Representative with Oakland County, Mich. (September 2016-October 2017) and as an Economic Development Manager for the City of Palo Alto, Calif. (August 2010-April 2016). Prior to his career in the public sector, Fehrenbach also worked in the private sector early on in his career, with experience in banking, real estate finance and retail management.
Fehrenbach is a graduate of Michigan State University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science from the MSU College of Social Sciences. He is a current member of the East Lansing Kiwanis Club.
“Tom’s time at the City as the Community & Economic Development Administrator and his previous work in development in Michigan and California have well-prepared him to take on this new role. Tom’s work ethic, leadership and positive outlook are strong assets that will help him drive continued progress in the East Lansing Department of Planning, Building & Development and the City as a whole,” said East Lansing City Manager George Lahanas.
“I also would like to thank East Lansing Housing & University Administrator Annette Irwin for her willingness to serve as the interim director of the department during the hiring process. Even though she did not have an interest in applying for the regular position, she has done a great job managing the department in the interim,” Lahanas added.
In his new, senior management position, Fehrenbach will be responsible for the oversight of 30 full-time and 10 part-time employees across five functional divisions: Building and Code Enforcement, Community and Economic Development, Downtown Parking, Housing and University Relation and Planning and Zoning. Fehrenbach is proud to call East Lansing home and currently resides in the community with his wife and three children.