MOUNT PLEASANT, SC (September 29, 2017) - Mount Pleasant Town Administrator Eric DeMoura announced the appointment of Jeffery G. Ulma to the position of Director of Planning and Development. Mr. Ulma brings over 35 years of local government planning experience to the job, including serving the past 21 years as the Planning Director for Cary, North Carolina.
“We are very pleased that Jeff Ulma will be joining the Town of Mount Pleasant. The similarities between Cary and Mount Pleasant are pretty extraordinary. The planning experience and knowledge that he will bring from this fast growing and dynamic southeastern city will be very beneficial here in the Town as we continue to refine our long-term land use and growth management policies,” DeMoura said.
Cary, North Carolina's seventh largest municipality, is located in the greater Raleigh Durham area, which has experienced tremendous growth similar to what Mount Pleasant has experienced as a result of growth in the greater Charleston region. Although Cary is nearly twice the size of Mount Pleasant, both communities have high quality of life standards and very similar demographics. When asked about his appointment, Ulma said, “I am extremely excited to have been selected to serve in this position. I am familiar with Mount Pleasant’s reputation and commitment to planning, which is evident everywhere you look, and I hope I can help continue that tradition.”
Ulma graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and holds a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Arizona. He began his planning career in Pima County, Arizona, before moving to North Carolina to serve as the Planning Director for Pitt County for nearly ten years. Ulma has also lectured at two universities in North Carolina, teaching planning courses and sharing his planning knowledge with undergraduate and graduate level students at East Carolina University and North Carolina State University, respectively.
Ulma is a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners and has held multiple elected and appointed positions with both the Arizona and North Carolina Chapters of the American Planning Association.
As Planning Director, Mr. Ulma will serve as the department head for Planning and Development. He will be directly involved in the update to the Town’s Comprehensive Plan as well as the day to day activities of the department.