Marblehead has announced its new town planner, Jacinta Williams.
Williams worked most recently as town planner in Amherst and Pittsfield. She previously worked as an energy and land use planner for the Pioneer Valley Planning Commisison in Springfield.
Williams earned her graduate degree in urban and regional planning from UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs and has been practicing regional and urban planning in Massachusetts since 2021.
Williams said she accepted the position of Marblehead’s town planner earlier this year, while awaiting approval of the town’s fiscal 2027 budget.
“Since arriving in Marblehead, I have been spending my time learning about the community and meeting the people I will have the privilege of working with,” Williams wrote to the Current. “One experience that immediately stood out was a tour of Marblehead with Community Development and Planning Director Brendan Callahan. Growing up, you hear about the coastal charm of Massachusetts and see it portrayed in movies, but experiencing Marblehead in person was something entirely different. I was genuinely struck by its beauty, history and unique character.”
Williams added: “I am incredibly excited to serve Marblehead as its town planner. For me, Marblehead is both breathtaking and iconic, and I feel humbled and honored to have the opportunity to work with the community, learn from its residents and leaders, and help support the town’s future while preserving the qualities that make it so special.”
Marblehead’s previous town planner, Alex Eitler, stepped down in December 2025, after about a year on the job.
