James W. Noyes
Director of Planning + Development

James W. Noyes is the Director of the Hamilton County Planning + Development Department.  The position oversees the Department’s five (5) divisions: Building & Inspections, Community Development, Community Planning, Development Services, and Stormwater and Infrastructure.  Responsibilities also include oversight of the Department’s IT and Finance operations.  James was appointed the Interim Director on May 7, 2018 and became the permanent Director on August 23, 2018.

Working jointly with the Department’s leadership team and County Administration, James focuses on ways to continually improve the building and development process with attention to both operational and customer service improvements.  Furthermore, he encourages his team to provide leadership in community planning and development outreach to engage and serve the residents, businesses, and communities of Hamilton County.

James began his service with Hamilton County in 2011 as the Development Services Facilitator.  In this role he assisted customers navigating the building and development process, acting as a customer advocate.  In 2013, James was promoted to the Assistant Director of Planning + Development, where he managed personnel and workflows of the Building and Inspections Division while continuing the functions of his previous position.  

James has over 15 years of experience in the private sector as a project and operations manager in land development, as well as a background in public policy and planning.  His transparent team approach to problem solving and negotiating the development process with key stakeholders has allowed him to reduce project delivery times while maintaining quality development practices.  

James holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of Cincinnati and lives in the City of Wyoming, Hamilton County, with his wife and two daughters.