The City of Gastonia has named Mr. Sushil Nepal as its new Planning Director.
Mr. Nepal will begin his new position with the City of Gastonia on Monday, December 2nd and will lead the day to day operations of the Planning Department and its employees. Mr. Nepal was selected as the new Planning Director after the completion of an extensive national search. The position became vacant with the retirement of former Planning Director Jason Thompson. Thompson retired after 25 years of service with the City of Gastonia in September. “Mr. Nepal will be an essential member of the city’s leadership team. His experience and background will be critical for our Planning Department as we manage growth and continue our work on the new Gastonia 2050 Comprehensive Plan,” said City Manager Michael Peoples. “We recognize how important it is to the community that the next Planning Director be adequately prepared to lead the department well into the future.”
Mr. Nepal comes to the City of Gastonia with over 15 years of progressive planning and land use career, which includes the recent service as Planning and Development Director for the City of High Point, NC. He previously served as the Planning and Economic Development Director for the Town of Harrisburg, NC. His prior planning roles included service as a Principal Planner for the Town of Huntersville, Project Manager for Centralina Council of Governments, as well as a Long-Range Planning Coordinator for the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
He earned his Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Iowa and also holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Environmental Management from Pokhara University (Nepal). Mr. Nepal is a graduate of NC Civics Fellows Program and has completed the Municipal and County Administration Certification Program, both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill-School of Government.
Mr. Nepal is also an active member of the American Planning Association (APA), International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and has been a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) since 2015.