Riverside City Manager Scott Barber recently announced the appointment of Al Zelinka as the City’s new Community Development Director commencing July 2nd. Mr. Zelinka will lead the City of Riverside’s planning, building, code enforcement and development programs.
Mr. Zelinka comes to Riverside from the City of Fullerton where he was the Community Development Director. He has over twenty years of planning and community development experience in both the public and private sectors.
Mr. Zelinka was chosen following a highly competitive recruitment. City Manager Scott Barber said “Al has a demonstrated record of success and is a nationally recognized leader and practitioner in the planning and community development profession. I am particularly impressed by his commitment to economic development and ensuring that job creation and business development are the highest priority for the Community Development Department.”
Joe Felz, Fullerton City Manager said, “Al Zelinka is an amazing professional and has transformed Fullerton’s Community Development Department bringing fresh ideas, new private sector investment while garnering numerous awards and grants. Although his departure will be a tremendous loss to the City, I look forward to working with Al on regional planning issues in Southern California. We wish him all the best in his new endeavor.”
Mr. Zelinka holds a Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Planning with a minor in Business Administration from Northern Arizona University. He is a Certified Main Street Manager and earned Certificates in Crime Prevention through Environmental Design and Community Economic Development. Prior to joining Fullerton in 2008, Mr. Zelinka spent eleven years and was a Vice President and Shareholder with RBF Consulting. Prior to joining RBF, Mr. Zelinka obtained additional professional experience at The Planning Center, Sedway Cooke Associates, the City of Phoenix, Arizona, and as a VISTA Program Coordinator in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Mr. Zelinka fills the position previously held by Scott Barber, who was appointed City Manager in December, 2011.
