The city of Jacksonville Planning and Development Department will be led by a longtime city planner on an interim basis after the resignation of its director.
Helena Parola, a division chief in the department, was named to the interim role April 14, according to an email from Melissa Ross, the director of strategic initiatives and press liaison in Mayor Donna Deegan’s office.
Parola, who has 26 years of experience as a planner for the city, was promoted to lead the Community Planning Division in July 2024.
The move comes after the April 11 resignation of director R. Brett James after 14 months in the position.
James said he submitted his resignation upon request from Deegan’s office, which indicated to him that it had a “desire to go in a different direction with the planning department.”
James’ resignation is effective April 25 but his last day in the office was April 11. He took two weeks of administrative leave.
A former director of strategic planning for the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command in San Diego, James was appointed to the director position in February 2024 by Deegan.
On his LinkedIn account, James posted April 13 that he was starting a new position as senior planner/landscape architect at The Urban Collaborative.
Ross said the city has posted notice of the director’s position opening.