May 20, 2026

Sioux Falls planning and development services director Jeff Eckhoff will retire this month.

May 29 will be the last day for Eckhoff, who has served in the role for seven years that included historic city building activity.

As director, he led a department that includes 69 full- and part-time employees and oversees a broad portfolio of services, including planning and zoning, building services, housing, transit, property maintenance, neighborhood associations, historic preservation, and arts and culture initiatives.

“Jeff’s leadership has helped shape Sioux Falls during a time of tremendous growth and transformation,” Mayor Paul TenHaken said in a statement.

“From major development projects and long-range planning to strengthening neighborhoods, housing, transit and the arts, Jeff has left a lasting impact on our city. More importantly, he built a culture within Planning and Development Services centered on innovation, collaboration and service to the community. Jeff became much more than a colleague to me — he became a friend. Early in my administration, he took a gamble on a mayor he didn’t really know, and I’ll always be grateful for the integrity and leadership he brought to our city.”

Under Eckhoff’s leadership, the department advanced several major long-range planning efforts, including the Horizons 2035 Downtown Plan, the Shape Sioux Falls 2050 Comprehensive Plan and the city’s first Arts and Cultural Plan. The department also modernized permitting and inspection services during the COVID-19 pandemic by implementing online commercial plan submissions and virtual inspections. The city now conducts more than 10,000 virtual inspections annually.

Eckhoff also helped lead the consolidation of code enforcement and property maintenance operations to improve neighborhood response and customer service. The department expanded its coordination role with neighborhood associations and historic preservation efforts while also adding the city’s first arts coordinator position and establishing a new Arts Commission.

Recent arts and culture initiatives have included the Mayor’s Art Wall, partnerships with The Summit League, the reimagining of the Carver Art Gallery at City Hall and planned mural projects connected to the Orpheum Theater and the Levitt at the Falls expansion.

“Serving the city the last seven years has been the privilege of a lifetime,” Eckhoff said. “I have had the opportunity to work alongside an incredible team of leaders and staff whose dedication, talent and passion for public service are unmatched. The culture of improvement throughout the city organization continues to inspire me every day.”

Throughout his tenure, Eckhoff played a key role in several transformative public and private development projects and housing initiatives, including The Steel District, Cherapa Place, transit system improvements, the city’s first affordable housing tax increment financing district and the first two 4 percent tax credit housing projects. He also helped rebuild the Accessible Housing Advisory Board and supported development of the Housing Hub initiative.

“The leadership team we have in Planning and Development Services is second to none,” Eckhoff said. “Their commitment to the city and love for the community are exceptional. The city is in good hands and prepared for whatever the future holds.”

Before joining the city, Eckhoff spent his career working in state and local government, higher education and nonprofit organizations.

Assistant director Logan Penfield will serve as interim director until the next mayor appoints a director.