NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — George Homewood is out as Norfolk’s planning director after his professional credentials were permanently revoked for alleged ethical misconduct.
City spokesperson Christopher Jones confirmed that Homewood is no longer with the city but declined to say whether he was fired or resigned. The city said he was “retiring” at a planning commission meeting Jan. 26 and that Paula Shea will serve as acting director until the city fills the position.
The news of Homewood’s departure was first reported by the Virginian-Pilot.
The city also announced at the meeting that former Virginia Beach Planning Director Bobby Tajan has returned under the title of chief project manager. Tajan is a former zoning administrator in Norfolk.
The American Institute of Certified Planners says that Homewood, who’d been with Norfolk since 2011, broke its rules of conduct with his harassment of other professional planners.
The AICP says other planners gave “vivid descriptions” of inappropriate conversations with Homewood that “constitute ‘wrongful acts.'” Most of the incidents happened during meetings with professional planners or at events sponsored by the group’s Virginia chapter, leading to many planners withdrawing from events, the AICP said.
“These ‘wrongful acts,’ as described by some of the professional planners spoken to by the Ethics Officer, clearly ‘reflect adversely [his] professional fitness’—both as an experienced and respected professional who is looked up to as a mentor by many younger professional planners and as a chapter leader who has served on the Virginia Chapter board, including as its president,” the statement reads.
WAVY reached out to Homewood for comment but has yet to hear back.
