Principal Planner

James McManus

Jim is a Principal Planner who will be assisting communities in the development of master plans, zoning ordinances and other plans and land use regulations that will benefit communities. Jim believes in a geographic approach to planning that emphasizes the interconnectivity of land use and design to create enticing and memorable communities where people will want to visit and reside.

Raised in Kalamazoo and currently residing in Delton Michigan, Jim served as a County Planning Director for thirty years. In that capacity, he helped complete three master plans, two zoning ordinances, a corridor plan, and an area joint plan. In addition to his planning responsibilities, he served as a part-time instructor in the Geography Department at Western Michigan University, where he taught geography and planning classes for more than thirty years.

Jim earned a master’s degree in Geography/Geographic Information Systems from Western Michigan University and a bachelor’s degree in Geography from Valparaiso University. In addition, Jim has been AICP certified since 1998.