City Manager Frank Fairbanks today named Donald Maxwell the city’s Community and Economic Development Department director and John Chan the city’s Downtown Development Office director.

“This was an extremely competitive process with many well-qualified candidates,” said Fairbanks. “Donald and John have extensive experience in the economic development areas and bring a wealth of knowledge to the city.”

Maxwell currently serves as director of the Department of Economic Development for the city of Virginia Beach, Va. He has served in this position for the past 11 years, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the department including promoting, marketing, planning, organizing and implementing the economic development program for the city. Prior to joining Virginia Beach, he served for 16 years as director of the Department of Development for the city of Hampton, Va.

As director of Phoenix’s Community and Economic Development Department, Maxwell will manage a $22 million budget and 114 employees.

Maxwell earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from Ohio State University and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Chan, a 14-year city of Phoenix employee, currently serves as acting Downtown Development Office director, managing an operating budget of more than $3 million plus capital improvements.

He oversees coordination and management of the city’s downtown development activities including the Downtown Strategic Plan; market-rate and mixed-income housing development; transit-oriented development; financing and construction of a 1,000-room, publicly funded Sheraton Hotel; development of the 28-acre Phoenix Biomedical Campus; establishment of the University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy; and planning and implementation of Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix Campus.

Prior to joining the Downtown Development Office, Chan worked in various management positions in the city’s Community and Economic Development Department.

Chan earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Arizona State University.