Diane Schwartz Jones has retired as the director of the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services after more than three decades of government service.
Jones retired Tuesday, according to a memo from Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Fariba Kassiri.
Hadi Mansouri, the department’s chief operating officer, has been named as an interim replacement.
Jones’s departure leaves vacancies at the top of 12 agencies, including the police department.
The council is scheduled to conduct interviews Monday with candidates for director of the Public Information office, director of the Department of Technology Services and Chief Labor Relations Officer.
Jones had been permitting services director since 2011. She began working in county government in 1986, spending 20 years in the county attorney’s office and was an assistant chief administrative officer from 2007 to 2011.
Kassiri wrote that Jones’s leadership has been instrumental in streamlining customer service.
“Under Diane’s leadership, the Department has shaved review and permit issuance times, eliminated backlogs, moved to electronic permits and plans, reduced and restructured fees, implemented countless Council bills and zoning text amendments, adopted green building codes, executed the Design for Life Property Tax program, addressed community enforcement issues, launched a new customer based website, and many other service improvements,” she wrote.
Kassiri also wrote that Jones will remain involved in the county to help with County Executive Marc Elrich’s new initiative to help small businesses.
Elrich, a former council member who was sworn in last December, has started efforts to recruit a new police chief after last month’s retirement of Manger. Inspector General Edward Blansitt will retire later this year.
Dan Schere can be reached at Daniel.schere@moco360.media
