PURCELLVILLE, Va., December 4, 2020 — Mr. Don Dooley has been selected as the Director of Planning and Economic Development. Mr. Dooley comes to the Town of Purcellville from the city of Whittier, California with 30 years of professional experience in municipal city planning and public administration, including 17 years of management experience in local government. He also has over 20 years of experience in historic preservation and meets the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications.
Don is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine in economics and respectively holds master’s degrees in public administration and historic preservation from California State University, Long Beach (California) and Goucher College in Baltimore. Don’s future educational aspirations include obtaining his AICP certification from the American Planning Association.
Don is a dedicated professional and is very excited to begin his position, as the Director of Planning and Economic Development for Purcellville, on January 25, 2021. He looks forward to being part of the Purcellville Town family and community by contributing his professional skills and experience to facilitate helping the Town meet its needs and goals. As Don has served many years as an appointed city zoning administrator and secretary to several city boards/commissions, he is also looking forward to serving the Purcellville Planning Commission in 2021.
Don is a native of southern California and has been married to his wife, Sharon, for nearly 13 years. He also has an adult daughter who resides in California. Don is particularly proud to become the Commonwealth’s newest Virginian as his family’s ancestral roots are tied to the state and he has been a regular visitor to Virginia since he was a youth.
David Mekarski stated, “The Town is very excited to have someone of Mr. Dooley’s caliber join our Team. He brings the experience and leadership to work collaboratively with the Town and the committees, commissions and boards to help with historic perseveration efforts, business attraction and retention, and facilitating partnerships.”
