Yeo Has Been With the City of Santa Monica Since 2006, Starting as a Senior Planner and Eventually Leading the Planning Division as Planning Manager
City Manager David White announced that Jing Yeo, the city’s planning manager, will assume the role of acting director of the Community Development Department starting Dec. 31.
Yeo will serve in the interim while the city finalizes its search for a permanent director. The recruitment process began after the retirement announcement of Director David Martin in September.
“Jing is a tremendous asset to the department, and I am grateful for her willingness to step up and lead the team as we complete the recruitment process,” White said. “Her extensive experience and vast knowledge will be invaluable during this transition.”
Yeo has been with the City of Santa Monica since 2006, starting as a senior planner and eventually leading the Planning Division as planning manager since 2016. Before her tenure in Santa Monica, Yeo worked as a principal planner for the city of Palm Springs.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in urban and economic geography from the University of British Columbia and a master’s degree in planning and urban design from the University of Toronto.
This leadership change comes following the December retirement of former Community Development Director David Martin, who served the city for 29 years. Martin, a Santa Monica resident since 1988, had been instrumental in shaping the city’s land use and transportation policies, including major mixed-use housing initiatives and the planning of the city’s three Metro Expo Line stations.
