Manish Kumar, executive director of the Denver Department of Community Planning and Development, will step down from his role Friday, the mayor’s office announced in a news release received Tuesday afternoon.

In Kumar’s place, Mayor Mike Johnston has selected Brad Buchanan, CEO of the National Western Center Authority, to serve as the interim director as the office commences on a search for a permanent leader, the release said.

“We are thrilled Brad is willing to return to lead CPD in an interim capacity,” said Johnston in the release. “Having served as executive director from 2014 to 2018, Brad knows the agency and the team extremely well. His deep expertise in Denver’s permitting and development processes gives me full confidence in his ability to guide CPD forward as we continue overhauling our permitting processes and delivering services to our community.”

Buchanan will start in the new role Monday, according to the release. He will continue to serve as CEO of the authority while assuming leadership of the department during this period.

Kumar started in his role as the executive director just 13 months ago, according to a LinkedIn post from him on Friday announcing the news. 

One of the achievements Kumar noted in the post was the establishment of the Denver Permitting Office, an attempt to overhaul the city’s permit process, reducing review times and allowing businesses to get through the process faster.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston overhauls city permitting process, promises 180-day turnaround

The new office just began operations in mid-May.

“From day one, I approached this role with a clear and time-bound mission: to reorganize CPD, establish the Denver Permitting Office (DPO), and implement foundational reforms that would restore trust and improve service for the people of Denver,” Kumar said in the post. “That mission is now complete — and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved together.”