McAdams Makes Bold Move to Bolster Leadership Team by Adding Commissioner of New York City Parks Department as Principal, Vice President of Urban Planning

Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, Hon. ASLA to join McAdams in late spring 2021

Durham, NC – McAdams, a multidisciplinary civil engineering, land planning, landscape architecture and geomatics firm headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, announced today that Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, will join their leadership team in June as Principal, Vice President of Urban Planning. Silver is no stranger to the Research Triangle region of North Carolina, or the planning community, having served as the City of Raleigh’s chief planning officer and planning director for nine years prior to his being appointed by New York City Bill de Blasio as NYC Parks Commissioner, one of the largest parks departments in the world. He is an award-winning planner with more than 35 years of experience and is internationally recognized for his leadership and contributions to contemporary planning issues.

Silver will work closely with McAdams’ president and the executive leadership team to provide directional leadership to the company by contributing to its corporate vision and strategic objectives. He will provide corporate thought leadership, explore expansion into new markets and develop current and future talent.

“Throughout our storied history, we have been fortunate that many brilliant individuals have chosen to share their talents with our firm and Mitchell joins us at a pivotal point in the life of this company,” said President and CEO, Mike Munn, PE. “While we have achieved much, we aspire to achieve more, and I believe Mitchell joining our team will be the catalyst for tremendous growth and opportunity as we continue to expand our geographic footprint.”

Silver was appointed NYC Parks Commissioner in May 2014. He is president of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and past president of the American Planning Association (APA). He is internationally recognized for his leadership and contributions to contemporary planning issues. Silver specializes in comprehensive planning, placemaking and implementation strategies. As commissioner, he oversees management, planning and operations of more than 30,000 acres of parkland, which includes parks, playgrounds, beaches, marinas, recreation centers, natural areas and other assets.

Prior to returning to his native New York City as commissioner, he served as the chief planning officer and planning director for the City of Raleigh, North Carolina. His career has included roles as a policy and planning director for New York City’s Department of Planning, a principal of a New York City-based planning firm, a town manager in New Jersey and deputy planning director in Washington, DC.

“Mitchell has built an amazing personal and professional record of accomplishments over the past 35-plus years with his thoughtful and relevant design, planning and public service contributions and we’re excited that our team and our clients will be positively impacted by his knowledge, presence and abilities for years to come,” added Munn.

Silver will elevate McAdams by participating in regional and national industry events and conversations related to urban planning, land use, parks and recreation, equity, demographic and other emerging trends. He will provide advisory consulting services to communities and clients, supported by the appropriate McAdams design and technical staff. In addition, he will prominently serve as an ambassador for McAdams in regional and national organizations.

Silver will help advance McAdams throughout the industry by creating firm growth opportunities, taking the firm to new geographic locations, expanding and amplifying service offerings to new and existing markets and helping to win exciting and iconic public and private projects.

Internally, Silver will provide leadership in attracting and developing the very best talent in the industry. In addition, his insight within McAdams’ diversity, equity and inclusion employee resource group will help to enhance firm culture by executing on the internal commitment to make McAdams, and the industry, a truly diverse and inclusive work environment.

About McAdams
Founded in 1979, McAdams is a full-service civil engineering, land planning, landscape architecture and geomatics firm headquartered in Durham, North Carolina with offices in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. McAdams is passionate about providing unique and engaging experiences for our clients and our clients’ clients. We understand the importance of a lasting impression and strive to bring life to the collective vision for project success. All design charts a path to the built environment which may create budgetary or constructability constraints, however our team works to blend creativity with reality which enables a concept to be executed. Our engineering expertise and other integrated services help provide efficient and effective solutions to serve your project needs. We care about the end product and we share our clients’ goals