Darlene Wynne is the Director of Planning & Community Development for the city of Beverly, MA. She oversees a staff of six people who are responsible for land use, housing, conservation, transportation, economic development, and community development activities in Beverly, a City of 42,000 residents. In addition to reviewing all development in the City, Darlene manages the creation and implementation of long-range plans including: PlanBeverly Master Plan, Community Housing Plan, Open Space and Recreation Plan, and Historic Preservation Plan. She also supports the Administration’s sustainability goals through the Resilient Together: Climate Action Plan. As staff, Darlene sits on the Beverly Affordable Housing Trust, the Parking & Traffic Commission, and the Economic & Community Development Council. She serves as the Mayor’s designee to the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Board of Directors who conduct the federally required transportation planning process for the Boston metropolitan area. She is a Certified Planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Darlene was the Professional Development Officer for the American Planning Association (APA) Massachusetts Chapter from 2015-2019, Secretary of the Southeast Section Council of the APA Pennsylvania Chapter from 2011 to 2013, and co-founder and past President of the New England Chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) from 2003 to 2009. Outside of work, Darlene volunteered as the Race Director (2019-2021) and a committee member (2017-2021) of the Beverly Fall Frolic 5k & Fun Run, a community event raising funds for Beverly elementary schools.

Darlene lives in Beverly with her two children. Though she spent some time in Cambridge and Philadelphia, she was born and raised in Wenham. She enjoys the beaches and open spaces of the North Shore and supporting the many great restaurants, cultural venues, and local businesses here.

Darlene has a Master of City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Urban Studies and Planning (2004), where she focused in Environmental Policy and Planning and a Bachelor of Arts, Architectural Studies major, from Connecticut College (2000).