News Release

Zachary (Zac) D. Gordon named Planning Director for Town of Hilton Head Island

November 6, 2025

The Town of Hilton Head Island is pleased to welcome Zachary (Zac) D. Gordon as its new Planning Director. He is a seasoned planning professional with over 30 years of experience in building and enhancing communities. In this role, Zac will lead and direct the Town’s Planning Department, overseeing community planning, housing, development services, and building permitting and inspection. He will also provide strategic vision and leadership in current and long-range planning, workforce housing, zoning and land-use policy, natural resources protection, economic development, and redevelopment.

“Zac’s expertise, leadership, and broad experiences in community planning and development make him an exceptional fit for Hilton Head Island. We are excited to have him with us and look forward to the direction and management he will provide for our planning department, and the numerous initiatives we have launched and will be implementing as part of our current Strategic Action Plan,” said Town Manager Marc Orlando.  
 
Zac comes to Hilton Head Island from Harrisburg, North Carolina, where he has spent nearly four years as Planning Director. He managed Harrisburg’s planning and zoning department, providing development plan reviews, long-range planning, and code enforcement. Prior to that, he was Planning Director for the City of Kannapolis, North Carolina. His achievements included establishing the city’s first in-house municipal planning department, rewriting its unified development ordinance, and overseeing development of the city’s first comprehensive plan.

"I view my role at the Town of Hilton Head Island as a continuation of my passion for building sustainable communities through community and economic development. I am excited to enhance these efforts through visioning and strategic planning. I look forward to collaborating with the planning department team, elected officials, and community residents and stakeholders who are dedicated to making the Town a vibrant place to live, work, and enjoy," Zac said.

Throughout his career, Zac also held key planning roles for municipalities in Huntersville, North Carolina; East Providence, Rhode Island; and Exeter, New Hampshire.  In those roles, he focused on and managed projects that evolved around regional planning, community planning, economic development, land use and transportation, parks, and historic preservation. Additionally, his experience includes working as a consultant in both the private and non-profit sectors, as well as serving as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Zac holds a professional certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners. He is a member of the American Planning Association, the American Planning Association-NC Chapter, and the Urban Land Institute – Charlotte. Academically, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in geography/political science from the State University of New York and a Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University.

Zac’s office will be at Town Hall, 1 Town Center Court. He can be contacted by email at ZacG@hiltonheadislandsc.gov or by phone at 854-232-2221.