County veteran Novo to serve as a new interim Housing and Community Development director

SALINAS » Former Monterey County Planning Department director Mike Novo will replace his former boss and longtime colleague as director of the newly formed County Housing and Community Development, at least until a permanent director is found.

Novo, who retired from the county in 2016 but has spent much of the intervening years working in one capacity or another for the county, has been named interim director of the department that was formally created last year as part of the county Resource Management Agency reorganization.

He will replace retiring Carl Holm, who took over the new department briefly after serving for more than six years as Resource Management Agency director. Holm’s last day with the county is Friday after nearly two decades. Novo is set to start as interim director Tuesday.

After retiring following a 28-year career in planning, mostly with the county, Novo continued to work for the county in a number of temporary roles including as Zoning Administrator and overseeing key land-use initiatives.

County spokeswoman Maia Carroll said recruitment of a permanent Housing and Community Development director has already begun. A new hire is expected to be in place by May.

In addition, the county has named new chiefs of planning and building services, respectively, to serve in key positions in Housing and Community Development.

Erilk Lundquist has been hired as county Chief of Planning and will start on Feb. 1, while veteran county employee Josh Bowling has been promoted to county Chief of Building Services and started in that role Saturday.

Lundquist, who follows acting county planning chief Brandon Swanson, who left the county for Carmel last week, most recently worked for Hogan Land Services in Santa Cruz County but has previous government service experience with Calistoga, and Lake and San Luis Obispo counties.

Bowling has worked for the county for more than 15 years, starting in 2005 as a land use technician and serving as a building inspector, code compliance manager, building services manager and interim building official. He replaces Neville Pereira, who left the county early last year for Santa Clara County.

Holm said both recruitments began in October.