Vince Bertoni

L.A. City Mayor Eric Garcetti announced his selection Monday of Vince Bertoni as the new planning director for the giant metropolis.

Bertoni’s 25-plus years of municipal planning experience includes a stint in Santa Clarita, where he headed the planning department on an interim basis in 2003 and 2004.

Upon L.A. City Council ratification, Bertoni will be leaving his post in Pasadena where he has served as planning director since February 2011, overseeing 73 employees and a $13 million budget.

He’ll be replacing Michael LoGrande, who served in L.A.’s planning department for 18 years and headed it for the last six.

Bertoni won’t be a newcomer; he previously served as L.A.’s deputy planning director and “oversaw the adoption of 16 historic preservation overlay zones, new guidelines for the Broadway Historic District, a bicycle master plan and a Hollywood community plan,” according to a statement from Garcetti.

Now, Bertoni will be responsible for executing L.A.’s general plan, which guides development across the city.

“As we work together to shape the future of the Los Angeles cityscape,” Garcetti said, “we need an expert at the helm who brings both fresh ideas and an intricate understanding of our city’s complex planning process. Vince Bertoni’s experience both here in Los Angeles and across the region will add tremendous value to our City’s planning efforts. He is a professional who leads by collaborating and consensus-building – skills that will help him balance the diverse needs of our communities, and facilitate real progress in the ongoing conversation about development in this city.”