Bonham, Texas (March 22 , 2024) — The City of Bonham (City) is delighted to announce the appointment of Ross Altobelli as the new Director of Community Development. Mr. Altobelli brings a wealth of experience and expertise in strategic planning, policy development, and community engagement to his new role.

Mr. Altobelli comes to Bonham from the City of Rowlett where he served as Director of Community Development. Prior to that, Mr. Altobelli was the Director of Development Services for the city of Anna where he worked alongside current BEDCO director Joey Grisham for five years.

“Ross brings a true lunch pail mentality to any place he works, and Bonham will benefit from his vast experience in both rural and high-growth communities,” said Grisham. “He and I worked on many successful projects together in Anna and believe that we can help advance Bonham’s growth trajectory with good planning, effective processes, and strong development standards.”

Mr. Altobelli is a professional planner with over 20 years of municipal planning experience and numerous credentials that will only benefit the City of Bonham with comprehensive planning in the future. Mr. Altobelli was the Lead Development Review Planner for the City of Plano, Comprehensive Planning Manager for the City of McKinney, and Town Planner for the towns of Westford, MA and Franklin, MA.

Mr. Altobelli holds a bachelor’s degree in Regional Planning from Westfield State University.

Mr. Altobelli will plan, direct, and supervise the activities of the Planning & Community Development Department. This includes the Planning Division, Building Codes Division, Code Enforcement Division and Permitting. The position also works closely with economic development and downtown development activities.

City Manager Sean Pate expressed great enthusiasm for Mr. Altobelli’s appointment, stating, “We had several very qualified candidates that both myself and my leadership team interviewed. Ross stood out because of his experience with communities that are in the incubation stages of large-scale development.”

Mr. Altobelli stated, “I’m extremely excited to be joining the City of Bonham and the opportunity to help prepare the city for future development pressures and ensure the highest quality of life for its residents.”

Mr. Altobelli will officially start in his new role on April 2, 2024.