City’s Olympics watchdog to head Imagine Boston 2030

Mayor Martin J. Walsh has shuffled his $115,000 Olympics watchdog to a new post at the helm of his “Imagine Boston 2030” planning initiative.

Sara Myerson, a former Goldman Sachs associate and exec at the nonprofit Preservation of Affordable Housing, starts today as executive director of Imagine Boston 2030. She will lead a two-year process polling the public on their vision for the city and corralling a range of planning efforts into a cohesive plan.

“Now is our chance to set the course for the next generation by creating a comprehensive plan for Boston, and Sara has shown that she will efficiently lead this multi-year effort,” Walsh said in a statement. “Sara is committed to our core values of affordable housing and creating a Boston that is thriving, healthy and innovated and we’re thrilled she has stepped up to lead Imagine Boston.”

Myerson’s salary, which will remain the same, will still be carried on the books of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, Walsh spokeswoman Bonnie McGilpin said.

“The BRA drives urban planning and land use strategies for the city, which are focal points for Imagine Boston,” McGilpin said. “Given how closely Sara will be working with BRA staff ... it makes the most sense for her job to fall within the BRA.”

Myerson was hired in April as the city’s Chief of Olympic Planning, tasked with vetting the $4.6 billion Boston 2024 Olympics budget. Myerson had barely started when the plug was pulled on the Boston bid.

In a statement, Myerson said she is “excited to have the opportunity to engage in this innovative citywide conversation about holistically envisioning the future of Boston.”