Gwinnett County Advisory Roundtable with Chris Hayward and Yang Chen, Assistant Planning Director & Planning Division Director of Gwinnett County

Join the Council for Quality Growth's Gwinnett County Advisory Roundtable on March 10 at 8:00 AM.

Chris Hayward
Assistant Planning Director 
Gwinnett County

Chris Hayward began serving as the Assistant Director of the Department of Planning and Development in 2023. Previously, Chris served as the Deputy Director, where he oversaw the Housing and Community Development, Code Enforcement, Building, and Administration Divisions.
 
Prior to working with Gwinnett, Chris served in various capacities in the Office of the Chief Operating Officer for DeKalb County, assisting with project management, economic development, strategic planning, and policy development. He has a juris doctor and bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia with a major in economics and a minor in English. He is also an active member of the International City and County Management Association.


Yang Chen
Planning Division Director 
Gwinnett County

Yang Chen became the Planning Division Director in 2023, overseeing zoning administration and long-range planning.
 
Prior to joining Gwinnett, Yang served as the Deputy Director of Community Development for the City of Johns Creek and held planning roles with county governments in Virginia and Maryland. Yang earned a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from Tongji University and a master’s degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.