TEXARKANA, Texas — The City of Texarkana, Texas has appointed Daphnea Ryan as its new Director of Planning, Community Development, and Health following a nationwide search, city officials announced.
Ryan succeeds former director Vashil Fernandez and brings nearly two decades of experience with the city to the role.
According to the city, Ryan began her career in 2007 as an administrative coordinator in Community Development. She later served as Environmental Services manager before working as a city planner, where she contributed to long-range planning efforts, historic preservation initiatives, and programs tied to federal Community Development Block Grant funding.
Ryan played a key role
In 2020, Ryan was named Grants Administration manager, overseeing the city’s expanding grant portfolio. Officials said she played a key role in environmental and redevelopment projects, including work tied to brownfields cleanup efforts and workforce training programs developed in partnership with Texarkana College.
City Manager David Orr said Ryan’s experience and familiarity with city operations made her a strong choice for the position.
Ryan has also been involved in redevelopment initiatives, including early environmental cleanup work tied to the Texarkana National Bank site and upcoming housing and revitalization projects in the city.
Looking ahead, officials said she will continue efforts related to housing programs aimed at replacing substandard homes for low-income residents, along with other community development initiatives.
Ryan said she is honored to step into the role and plans to build on the work of her predecessor while advancing new projects for the community.
The appointment is effective immediately.
Source: City of Texarkana, Texas