Changing of Guard at Yountville Planning Department

Sandra Smith, a Yountville associate planner since 2008, will take over as Yountville's planning and building director, effective Jan. 7.

Smith succeeds Robert Tiernan, planning and building director for the past 12 years. Tiernan retires effective Dec. 31.

"Yountville is a great place to be and I’m excited for my changing role in the organization," Smith said.  "I look forward to the challenge of leading the department.”

Tiernan's tenure included serving as acting town manager in 2007 while the Town Council recruited for a town manager.

“During his career in Yountville, Bob has been involved with the processing of a significant number of land use planning applications that have come to shape Yountville as we know it today," said Town Manager Steven Rogers.

"Those included the Yountville Community Center, Villagio Spa, Bardessono Inn, Hotel Luca (now North Block), completion of the Stags View Lane subdivision, Vintage Estate Event Center and worked on three housing elements, just to name a few.” Rogers said.

Mayor John Dunbar agreed.

"I've worked with Bob for a decade, first when I was on the Zoning and Design Review Board, then since 2004 when I joined the Town Council," Dunbar said.  "I appreciate the professional support he provides and am impressed by the scope of institutional knowledge he has at his disposal.

"Bob has been great to work with on a personal level as well," Dunbar added."I thank him for his tireless dedication to his craft and to our community. Yountville is a better place because of Bob's efforts."

Tiernan said he enjoyed his time in Yountville.

“For the past 12 years, it’s been my good fortune to have served the Town of Yountville during a period of transformative change," Tiernan said. "I’m grateful that I had good timing to participate in several significant projects that have improved the town.

"I thank the Town Council, Zoning and Design Review Board, and town staff for the opportunity to get to know them and work with them during my time serving the Town,”  he said.

Smith, meanwhile, holds a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from UC Santa Barbara and is also a graduate of USF School of Law.

Prior to joining the staff of Yountville, she previously worked in both the public and private sectors with the city of Ukiah and private land use planning firms in Mendocino and Lake Counties.

She possesses a Green Building Professional Certificate and is a certified Green Building Professional, is a member of the California State Bar Association, and a graduate of Leadership Napa Valley Class 24.

 “The appointment of Sandra Smith offers the town the unique opportunity for succession planning and to allow for continuity of our planning processes which is important in a lean organization such as Yountville which only employs two professional planning staff,”  Rogers said.

Yountville will host a retirement reception to recognize and thank Bob Tiernan for the many contributions he has made to the community in January 2014.