Claire Ricker Named Arlington’s New Director Of Planning & Development

ARLINGTON, MA — Claire Ricker has been appointed as Arlington’s new Director of Planning and Community Development (DPCD), said Town Manager Sandy Pooler.

The DPCD Director staffs the Arlington Redevelopment Board and oversees the town’s planning, housing, economic development, arts & culture, conservation, urban renewal, zoning, and transportation initiatives.

Ricker will start her new role on Monday, September 19.

“I am excited to have Claire lead our excellent Department of Planning and Community Development,” Pooler said in a statement. “Her experience in Planning, Real Estate, Urban Renewal, and Economic Development throughout Massachusetts make her uniquely suited to take on the position of Director of Planning and Community Development.”

Ricker is currently the Director of Real Estate for Coalition for a Better Acre, a Community Development Corporation (CDC) in Lowell, overseeing the development of affordable housing and long-range neighborhood planning to support stable housing in Lowell, Dracut, and Haverhill.

"Arlington has a great reputation for being innovative around planning and community development initiatives,” Ricker said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the Arlington community and the talented DPCD team.”

Prior to her role at the Coalition for a Better Acre, Ricker worked in the Department of Planning & Development for the City of Lowell as both the Chief Design Planner and Urban Renewal Project Manager. Her past experiences also include work as a Senior Planner in Holyoke, an Environmental Planning Fellow in Cambridge, and an Economic Development & Land Use Planning Fellow in Newton. She has also served as a licensed foreman, journeyman, and apprentice electrician for IBEW Local 103 in Boston.

Ricker holds a Master in Urban Planning from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, a Bachelor of Arts in History from Mount Holyoke College, and a Certificate in Construction Management from Wentworth Institute of Technology. She is AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners) certified.