A new Executive Director for the Dublin Economic Development Corporation has been hired and brings years of experience to the table.
Noah Cullis got his start into planning when he graduated with his Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Planning for the University of Utah.
Cullis admits he got into the program as one of routes to become pre-law but discovered a love for aspects of planning, economic development and quality of life factors for communities. This love led to a career of helping others in a variety of planning aspects.
After completing his degree, he moved to Yuma, Arizona after being hired in a temporary role as a long range planner for the county’s comprehensive plan from 1999 to 2001.
“It was good experience and taught me how to listen and work with others,” he said.
For Cullis, building relationships and trust is the focus of his life and his career, and his friendly naturehasaidedinestablishing relationships for him.
Since the work in Yuma was temporary, Cullis moved to work as the deputy director and city planner for the city of Gunnison, Colorado from January 2001 through May 2003.
While in this position, he coled three divisions consisting of community planning, building safety and fire inspection and prevention.
He also successfully researched and authored the amendment to the City Lake Use Ordinance in response to the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which was then unanimously approved and adopted by city council.
In May 2003, Cullis moved back to Yuma, Arizona where he was hired as a Planner II and served in this role for a year and a half until becoming senior planner where he worked for more than 11 years.
One of the highlights of Cullis’ career was collaborating on the downtown redevelopment plan which led to doubling the size of the city of Yuma’s downtown economic redevelopment area.
He co-authored and managed the project of the downtown redevelopment plan which was unanimously adopted by the city council resulting in $30 million of commercial development and public infrastructure.
Cullis also has a love of first responders and helped improve fire and life safety needs by facilitating and managing the project for the city of Yuma Fire Department 2007 Fire Facilities Plan. This plan aided in helping plan six additional future fire stations and helped reduce emergency response time by 50%.
This project received the “Best Study Award” from the American Planning Association in 2008 and aided in the department receiving the accreditation from the International Commission on Fire Accreditation.
He also facilitated, managed and authored the city of Yuma Police Department 2015 Strategic Master Plan. Cullis was elected as the Conference Chairman for the Arizona Chapter of the American Planning Association for the 2008 Annual State Conference.
In 2015, Cullis made the jump to Texas as he was hired as the director of planning and building services for the city of Stephenville.
During his time in Stephenville, he collaborated on a new thoroughfare plan for a multi-million dollar road development and maintenance plan, helped in the new redevelopment of Texstar Ford Dealership, redevelopment of two parcels of abandoned establishments into the new Stephenville Ranger College Satellite Campus and the new expansion of the football stadium for Tarleton State University.
Though Cullis was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, he said he enjoys the rural lifestyle afforded to him and his wife, KayDee, and their son Ethan, who is currently doing mission work in Argentina. The family resides in a rural home on Highway 6 near Cottonwood.
After leaving the city of Stephenville, Cullis launched his own company Beyond the Shield where he helps in strategic planning for agencies and organizations, economic development and redevelopment and general/ comprehensive planning for communities.
Cullis also served as interim director of building and development services for the city of West Lake Hills, a Director of the Public Works Institute in the Division for Enterprise Development at the University of Texas at Arlington and the Director of Community and Economic Development for the city of Gunter.
“The drive was simply too much and I have always enjoyed Dublin,” Cullis said.
Cullis said he likes being on a first name basis with many of the business owners in Dublin as he does shopping and errands in town, even before he became EDC director.
“God is in the details,” he said, about being hired for the position.
“There is potential here and we are in an exciting phase. We get to decide what we want to become,” Cullis said.
With limited time in his role as EDC Director, Cullis said he is still learning about Dublin but said he would somehow like to enhance the vision of what Dublin can be.
“I see a lot of opportunities here,” he said.
Cullis can be found at the EDC office inside Blackjack Office Center in downtown and invites the citizens to stop by and say hi as they are out and about.