EVANSTON, IL - Interim City Manager Luke Stowe today announced the appointment of Sarah Flax as the City of Evanston’s interim community development director. This appointment will be effective August 17 with the departure of Community Development Director Johanna Nyden.

Flax has worked in housing policy, program development, and management for over 20 years. She began working for the City of Evanston in 2006 as the CDBG administrator and has served as the housing and grants manager since 2017.

Throughout her tenure, Flax has worked on the development and implementation of the City’s affordable housing strategies, including Inclusionary Housing and ADUs, an $18 million Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 grant to revitalize neighborhoods hard hit by foreclosures, and the use of the Affordable Housing Fund to address Evanston’s affordable housing goals. Flax also manages federal entitlement grants and is a part of the planning team for Evanston’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic using funding from the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan Act.

Prior to joining the City of Evanston, Sarah worked in the non-profit sector as the McGaw YMCA development director, and in advertising at Leo Burnett.

“Sarah is a dedicated, hard-working, and talented manager who is also a wealth of information on many topics critical to core city initiatives. I look forward to working with her in her new capacity,” said Luke Stowe.

For more information, please call/text 847-448-4311 or simply dial 311 in Evanston.