Stephanie Carver to take over for Executive Director Paul Schumacher who is retiring from the Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission. Contributed / Raegan Young photo
After an extensive search, Stephanie Carver has been named to replace Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission long-time Executive Director Paul Schumacher who is stepping down this summer.
SMPDC was founded 60 years ago to provide planning and economic development services to municipalities located in Southern Maine — offering a coordinated effort for land use, smart growth, resource management, environmental sustainability, and transportation planning.
Carver has served as SMPDC transportation director since 2020 and has led the expansion of SMPDC’s Municipal Planning Organization from five to nine municipalities to coordinate transportation projects in the region with the Maine Department of Transportation. She has also led the Joint Land Use Study, the collaborative planning initiative between Kittery and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to address transportation, workforce housing, land use and climate/economic resilience.
“I am thrilled to take the reins from Paul,” Carver said. “He has brought together an incredibly talented group of professionals, creating an organization that both encourages innovation and supports the needs of our municipal membership. I look forward to building on this approach, working with our local, state and federal partners to continue to bring valuable financial resources, innovation and expertise to the region.”
The SMPDC’s Board of Directors unanimously voted to hire Carver.
According to Schumacher, “Stephanie’s competency and experience will make this leadership transition a seamless one. Personally, I have known Stephanie for years as a colleague in the economic development and planning realms. These last four years at SMPDC, I have come to appreciate her not just as a colleague but as a friend. I can’t think of a better choice to lead our talented and creative staff into the future.”
Before joining SMPDC, Carver worked as the planning director for the Greater Portland Council of Governments, and served as a municipal planner in several towns in Massachusetts. She is a graduate of Wheaton College in Massachusetts and holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans.
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