25-02-2025
Phillips named new regional planning executive director
Feb. 24—LIMA — The work of the Lima/Allen County Regional Planning Commission can often go unnoticed by the public, but for Rebecca Phillips, the commission's new executive director, the work is well worth the effort.
After 17 months as the commission's finance director, Phillips was voted into her new role Thursday by the RPC executive committee. Phillips, an Allen County native currently living in the Allen East area, is succeeding former executive director Tara Reynolds-Bales, who resigned in September.
Prior to her employment at the RPC, Phillips worked as the fiscal officer for Bath Township as well as in financial aid roles for Rhodes State College and the University of Northwestern Ohio.
"I'm excited," she said. "I was the finance director, so I think that gives me a good foundation to move up into this role. I've done a little bit as far as some of the strategic planning for our agency and our work plan, which is what we plan to do for the upcoming year. I've been involved a lot in that, but this will really expand on that."
Phillips wants to build on the work of her predecessors in building positive relationships with area civic officials, both in townships and in villages and cities. These connections are important, she said, since the RPC is a valuable resource for creating solutions for officials on improving a wide variety of civic planning issues, from improving roadways and traffic flow to addressing zoning and property issues to locating funding sources for potential improvement and safety projects.
"There is a wide range of needs out there that we have from our members," she said. "It's about getting to know them and getting to know what those needs are and how we can best serve them in their needs with planning and transportation dollars."
The RPC is also the administrator for the West Central Ohio Rural Planning Organization, which is addressing transportation issues in rural areas over a seven-county area surrounding Allen County.
Phillips also hopes to get the public more engaged in the planning process for the various projects and studies the RPC oversees, encouraging public comment during a project's formation.
"We have open houses, and all of our meetings are public, and we publish them on our website," she said. "My hope is in strengthening those relationships, attending those council meetings, being involved with the (Lima/Allen County) Chamber and networking with some of those people there, putting ourselves out there and letting people know what we do."
An open house event on the commission's 2026-2029 Transportation Improvement Plan will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 1 at the Allen County RTA, 200 E. High St., Lima. For more information on the Lima/Allen County Regional Planning Commission, visit
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