Heath names Zack King as new planning and development director

Heath has put Zack King at the center of its next growth decisions, naming the AICP-certified planner as director of planning and development in a move that comes as new projects, road pressure and neighborhood debates continue to build across the city.

The May 28 announcement said King brings more than seven years of municipal planning experience and will provide executive leadership for Heath’s planning and development functions. In practical terms, that gives him a leading role in how zoning cases, platting requests and site development applications move through city review, while also overseeing planning, building inspections, code enforcement and environmental health.

His arrival lands at a moment when Heath is trying to manage expansion without losing control of infrastructure. The city’s 2025 Comprehensive Plan, adopted by City Council on June 24, 2025, serves as a long-term roadmap for growth, development and community investment. It updates the city’s 2018 plan after a two-and-a-half-year process that gathered resident and stakeholder input on land use, transportation, housing, infrastructure, parks and recreation, economic development and environmental sustainability.

The pressure is not abstract. Heath’s population was estimated at 11,671 on July 1, 2025, up from 9,769 in the 2020 census. That kind of increase is why the planning department says its mission is to protect the existing environment and infrastructure while analyzing new development to preserve and enhance Heath’s reputation. The department also handles zoning, platting, comprehensive planning, budgeting, policy implementation and day-to-day operations, along with coordination with the Planning and Zoning Commission and regional planning agencies.

King inherits that workload as the city’s FY2026 budget puts water supply and distribution, road construction and drainage improvements near the top of the agenda. The budget was adopted on September 23, 2025 and runs through September 30, 2026. At the county level, Rockwall County also held public input meetings on its Thoroughfare Plan on March 31 and April 1, 2026, underscoring how transportation planning remains one of the defining issues for the area.

Before coming to Heath, King worked for the City of Waxahachie, rising from GIS Technician to Planner, Senior Planner and Planning Manager. He helped lead complex development reviews, ordinance updates, impact fee initiatives and work on Waxahachie’s 2023 Comprehensive Plan. He earned a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Geography from the University of North Texas, and received his AICP certification in 2023.

City Manager Steven Alexander said King brings technical expertise, leadership and community-minded planning experience. King said he looked forward to working with citizens, staff, City Council, and board and commission members to improve quality of life while preserving Heath’s character. The first six months will show how that balance plays out in the projects, traffic questions and zoning decisions now moving toward City Hall.