SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The City of Saint Paul today announced that Luis Pereira has been hired as the new planning director for the Planning and Economic Development (PED) department. In this role, Pereira will work to create an infrastructure around long-term planning, neighborhood planning, zoning and heritage preservation to facilitate community wealth building for all in the City of Saint Paul.
“Luis Pereira very effectively uses the lens of a professional planner to help construct a planning infrastructure that works for all – from residents to entrepreneurs,” said Dr. Bruce Corrie, director of PED. “We are excited to welcome him back to the department in this position and are confident that he will move Saint Paul forward in a strategic, thoughtful and inclusive manner.”
Pereira previously worked as a city planner for the City of Saint Paul from 2006 to 2012. He also has experience working for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville-Davidson County in Tennessee and served as team lead for a Minnesota Housing Finance Agency single family community development program. He most recently served as economic development program manager for a neighborhood-based development initiative supporting Latino-owned businesses in Moline, Illinois, and provided technical assistance to rural and tribal communities in Arizona, Maine, North Carolina, and South Dakota.
“I am excited and extremely honored to again serve the City of Saint Paul,” said Pereira. “I look forward to supporting the excellent planning team to implement citywide plans, assist neighborhood organizations, and carry out zoning and heritage preservation functions with the goal of linking people and businesses to opportunities to learn, make a living, and support community development, especially wealth building.”
Pereira is an AICP-certified planner with the American Planning Association, a Housing Development Finance Professional, and has a certificate in program evaluation. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Minnesota, and a master’s degree in regional planning from Cornell University.