Planning and Development Services

Meet the Director & Leadership Team

Meet the Director

Planning and Development Services Director

Peter Huffman

As director of the Planning and Development Services Department, Peter Huffman is responsible for comprehensive land use planning, building and land use permitting, inspections, and cross-departmental and regional coordination of planning and development policy for the City of Tacoma.

Major initiatives Huffman has led include development of the Permit Services Enterprise Fund and initiation of the implementation of a cost-for-service permit fee methodology, as well as formation and operation of cross-functional planning and development services teams to improve the delivery of permitting services and the process for developing zoning and development standards.

Huffman joined the City of Tacoma in 1994 as an urban planner conducting policy analysis on land use and transportation planning issues. He also served as an economic development specialist for four years staffing the Neighborhood Business District Revitalization Program. For nine years, he managed the long-range and comprehensive planning functions for the City of Tacoma before being named assistant director of the Community and Economic Development Department in January 2010.  As assistant director, he directed the planning and development services of the Building and Land Use Services Division.

In January 2013, the Planning and Development Services Department was created combining the former Building and Land Use Division with the long-range planning and historic preservation functions into one department. Huffman was named interim director. In this role he is continuing to move forward with efforts aimed at improving the customer service culture, predictability and timeliness of Tacoma’s planning and permitting services.

Education

• Master of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Oregon
• B.A. in Political Science, Central Washington University

Professional Memberships and Affiliations

• American Planning Association
• Urban Land Institute

Email

Meet the Leadership Team

	Brian Boudet Brian Boudet serves as the Assistant Director of the Planning and Development Services Department for the City of Tacoma. With more than 25 years of local planning experience, he has played a key role in advancing many of Tacoma’s major community and policy efforts. Brian is dedicated to fostering a vibrant, equitable, and sustainable urban environment through collaboration, innovation, and effective implementation. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Geography from the University of Washington and management certifications from Tacoma Community College and the University of Washington Tacoma’s Milgard School of Business.Outside the office, Brian enjoys exploring new places throughout the world and enjoying his native Pacific Northwest through hiking, snowboarding, overlanding, and time on the water with family and friends.
	Chris Seaman Chris Seaman serves as the Site and Building Division Manager and the Building Official for the Planning and Development Services Department.Chris grew up and lives in Tacoma. He has 19 years of construction industry experience, with a blend of work in the private and public sectors. He is a licensed engineer in the State of Washington and received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Washington State University.
	Philip Kao Philip Kao serves as the Permit Services Division Manager for the City of Tacoma’s Planning and Development Services Department. He brings extensive experience in planning, land use, permitting, and project coordination, including more than 18 years with the City of Tacoma. His work focuses on leading development services and improving the systems, processes, and coordination that help move complex development projects forward. Since joining the City in 2008, Philip’s career with Tacoma has progressed from planning and project coordination to division leadership. He designed and launched Tacoma’s first formalized project coordination program for complex development, creating a framework that later became the foundation for PDS’s Application Services function. In his current role, he leads teams responsible for pre-development engagement, project coordination, and permitting services. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public and Urban Affairs and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Policy and Planning from Virginia Tech.
	Robin Bolster-Grant Robin Bolster-Grant serves as Land Use Division Manager for the City of Tacoma’s Planning and Development Services Department. She brings more than 20 years of experience in land use planning and development, including 17 years with Santa Cruz County, California, where she advanced to Principal Planner. During that time, she earned a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from San José State University and a Juris Doctor from Monterey College of Law. Robin has also served as Assistant Community Development Director for San Benito County, Principal Planner for the City of Gig Harbor, and as a land use attorney focusing on cannabis and land use law. Her legal background informs her work on complex permitting and regulatory issues, and she is known for navigating challenging land use questions with both rigor and practicality.Before entering the planning field, Robin served in the U.S. Navy and managed her family’s hardwood flooring business, contributing to projects including the Getty Museum and LACMA in Los Angeles. This hands-on experience informs her understanding of the development process from both the public and private sector perspectives.
	Stephen Atkinson Stephen Atkinson serves as the Assistant Division Manager of Long Range Planning for the City of Tacoma’s Planning and Development Services Department, and has managed multiple long-range planning initiatives, including a makeover of the City’s Shoreline Master Program and Comprehensive Plan. Stephen has a Master of Regional Planning degree from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from the University of Washington, Tacoma. After graduation, Stephen spent considerable time wandering and studying urban and rural China, from Beijing to the small village of Xizhou in Yunnan Province. In his downtime, Stephen enjoys urban farming with his family, rainforest hikes, reading sports blogs, karaoke, and homebrew.
	Mindee Weber Mindee Weber serves as the Assistant Division Manager of Regulatory Compliance for the City of Tacoma’s Planning and Development Services Department, where she provides leadership and oversight for Code Compliance, Permit Compliance, and Shared Technical Services. In this role, she helps lead the City’s regulatory enforcement efforts, supporting consistent application of local codes, effective compliance strategies, and responsive enforcement services that promote safe, well-maintained properties and community accountability.Mindee brings a decade of government experience, including five years with the City of Tacoma, and a well-rounded municipal background that informs her practical, service-oriented approach to regulatory compliance. She is focused on strengthening compliance operations, improving internal processes, supporting staff, and ensuring enforcement services are practical, consistent, and legally defensible. Mindee remains engaged with state and national code enforcement best practices through organizations such as the Washington Association of Code Enforcement, the American Association of Code Enforcement, the International Code Council, and the Washington Association of Building Officials.