Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz
Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz has appointed Julie Barrett O’Neil, Esq., to be the next Deputy Commissioner of Planning and Economic Development within the Erie County Department of Environment & Planning (DEP). Julie is an attorney who brings over 25 years of experience with planning, economic and community development, environmental, and affordable housing with both governmental and nonprofit organizations.
“I have known Julie for many years and worked with her in her previous positions. I’ve always thought very highly of her experience and professionalism,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “The diversity of her experience will be important assets as she takes on a leadership role implementing various economic and community development related projects and responsibilities”.
“I’ve been blessed to have worked with many impactful organizations over my career, but when I had the opportunity to return to DEP to help advance the administrations’ planning, economic development, and affordable housing initiatives, I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I’m excited to return to County service where my career began”, said Julie Barrett O’Neill, Esq. Julie was an Intern in DEP after graduating from University of Buffalo.
Most recently, Julie was the Regional Director of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), responsible for all aspects of operations in the six county (Erie, Niagara, Wyoming, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany) region. Julie introduced private sector management best practices and project management approaches, initiated expanded and proactive regional communications, and created a regional diversity and Indian Nation Affairs team to bring consistent, focused support to NYSDEC’s commitment to serve all New Yorkers.
From 2018 to 2022, Julie was the Executive Director of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) where she oversaw re-orientation of the LISC program including strategic planning; geographic, program and staff expansion; funding diversification; COVID response; and diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice response. She led deployment of LISC’s nationally recognized Financial Opportunity Center program, an innovative model to use scaled modular construction to address the region’s affordable housing and racial wealth gap, and regional inclusive business support ecosystem tools.
After graduating from University of Buffalo and earning a law degree with the University of Iowa, she worked locally as a Planning Consultant and then became the first Executive Director of the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper (aka Waterkeeper) in 2001, growing the organization from 1 to 25 professional staff and a budget from $26,000 to over $2.8M.
She then was the Green Program Director and General Counsel for the Buffalo Sewer Authority from 2012 – 2018, prior to joining LISC.
Julie will oversee the DEP Division of Planning and Economic Development, which includes the Office of Economic Development, Office of Planning and Development, HUD/Community Development and Housing, Office of GIS, Office of Agriculture, Erie Arts & Cultural Advisory Board, Arts in Public Places Initiative, Buffalo and Erie County Food Policy Council, and the Lands Advisory Review Committee.
For more information:
On the Department of Environment and Planning, visit https://www3.erie.gov/environment/
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