Milwaukee Plan Commission Chair Patricia Najera is leaving after 20 years on that advisory panel

Longtime Milwaukee Plan Commission Chair Patricia Najera is leaving that position.

Najera announced Monday at a commission meeting that she will not be returning after her term ends at the end of December.

Najera was appointed to the Plan Commission in 1999 by then Mayor John Norquist, and was named commission chair in 2006 under Mayor Tom Barrett.

She said it was time to "pass the baton" to a new leader. 

"I've enjoyed it a great deal," Najera said after Monday's meeting. "It's been the highlight of my public service career."

Najera's 20 years on the Plan Commission involved playing a key role in reviewing major developments in both downtown Milwaukee and its neighborhoods.

That includes such recent projects as Fiserv Forum, Northwestern Mutual Life's office tower and the conversion of the former Grand Avenue Mall into The Avenue.

The commission operates as a recommending panel on planning and zoning issues, with the Common Council having final say over most of those items.

The vast majority of items recommended by the commission also win council approval.

Among the best parts of the job was hearing comments from citizens about proposed developments, Najera said. She hopes more people will participate in commission hearings.

Najera will continue with her job as director of partnerships and fund development at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Electa Quinney Institute, which creates ties between the university and American Indian communities.

Barrett will appoint a new member to the seven-person Plan Commission.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.