Front Royal announces new Director of Planning and Community Development

Planning and Community Development Director, Lauren Kopishke.

The Town of Front Royal welcomes Lauren Kopishke as Planning and Community Development Director. “Kopishke’s experience will be valuable to Front Royal as we move forward with a new Comprehensive Land Use Plan and creating additional business-friendly policies,” explains Steven Hicks, Town Manager.

Kopishke comes to Front Royal from Fauquier County, where she served as a Planner in Community Development specializing in identifying strategies to meet community goals and vision. She is an experienced plan reviewer and case manager, assisting clients through the permitting processes. “I am pleased to join the progressive Front Royal team as the Town develops new plans for economic growth, opportunity, and quality of life improvements,” says Lauren Kopishke.

Prior to working for Fauquier County, Kopishke served as Planner for the Town of Round Hill in Loudoun County where she specialized in Comprehensive Plan updates. She developed a permitting process and obtained grants for the first Appalachian Trail Festival in Round Hill. Kopishke’s experience also includes working in the Department of Planning and Zoning for Calvert County, Maryland, and four years in the private sector working for Bohler Engineering where she conducted research and guided commercial clients through complex development processes.

“Starting my career in the private sector allowed me to see how Planning and Land Use Policies affect and shape local government’s vision. Cumbersome and complex permitting, and development processes can significantly hinder business growth and new business recruitment. It is imperative that we strive to streamline public policies to foster a truly business-friendly environment and ensure a positive public/private working relationship,” explains Kopishke.

Kopishke earned a Bachelor of Science in Geography and Geosciences at Salisbury University. She received a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning with a concentration in Environmental and Land Use Planning, and a Graduate Certificate in Watershed Management from Virginia Tech. Kopishke is a Certified Zoning Administrator for the Commonwealth of Virginia, an active member of the American Planning Association, and serves on the Town’s Board of Architectural Review.

Kopishke will start August 2nd and replaces former Director Tim Wilson who moved to the job of County Administrator in Gates County, NC.