Just two months after the abrupt departure of Shawn Winter, the City of Traverse City has hired a new planning director. Claire Karner, East Bay Township’s director of planning and zoning since 2019, will join the city October 19.

Karner’s final day with East Bay Township will be October 8. A township statement credited her with leading a master plan rewrite, zoning ordinance update, Safe Routes to School, Three Mile Trail, Civic Plaza, Beach District Visioning effort, and establishment of the Corridor Improvement Authority.

Township Supervisor Beth Friend says Karner “has been a tremendous asset to East Bay Township, and we are grateful for the talent, professionalism, and enthusiasm she has brought to our organization.”

Before East Bay, Karner worked at Beckett & Raeder and LIAA. She holds a master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon and recently received the 2026 Leadership Award from the Michigan Association of Planning.

Karner, who grew up and is raising her family in Traverse City, says she wasn’t looking for another job but couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

“It’s a different opportunity for growth,” she says. “I’m excited to be part of implementing the strategic action plan, the mobility action plan. I have a strong interest in non-motorized transportation, so to work in a community that has engineering and streets departments excites me.”

Karner will start at a salary of $131,271.

She joins the city during a turbulent stretch in recent years marked by multiple city managers, several department head departures, and an upcoming retirement wave that could see one-third of the workforce leave. Winter, who served five years as planning director, was fired in July without a public explanation.

City Manager Benjamin Marentette previously said he couldn’t discuss Winter’s termination for “legal reasons,” but said it was “not a sudden or haphazard decision.” Records obtained by The Ticker through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request show Winter had been criticized over the previous year for workplace behavior including “eye-rolling,” “dismissive comments,” “one-word responses to meeting requests,” and what supervisors viewed as a non-collaborative attitude.

In some cases, however, Winter appeared to be following existing protocol or raising concerns. He was chastised after proceeding with a plan to provide meals for planning commissioners, which had been approved by the previous city manager and included in a commission-approved budget. Marentette said Winter should have checked with him first.

In another case, Winter raised concerns after being asked to help HomeStretch, the city’s partner on the Lot O redevelopment, pursue a workaround that could improve its score on a state funding application. Winter flagged the issue with the city attorney. Marentette later wrote he was disappointed that Winter suggested the request might be “fraudulent,” saying Winter was expected instead to “vet the request and circle back with a professional, informed response.”

Documents also show that during Winter’s brief public suspension in 2024, which occurred after he refused to apologize for a hot-mic criticism about Commissioner Jackie Anderson, former City Manager Liz Vogel had to push back against Anderson’s attempts to influence his duties and discipline. Vogel noted that personnel decisions were the city manager’s responsibility. Winter declined to comment for this story.

Karner says Winter is a friend and that she has a “tremendous amount of respect for him.” While the circumstances of his departure “weighed on” her, she says she’s optimistic about the city’s direction.

“I see the city is working to foster a positive culture, based on my interview and conversations with city leadership,” she says.

Marentette says Karner’s experience and temperament are well suited to the city.

“In this fantastic community where there are passionate and divergent points of view about its future, Claire Karner's professional experience, ability to stay engaged in difficult conversations, capacity to listen, and willingness to adapt will serve the city well and respectfully,” he says.

City Commissioner Mitch Treadwell calls Karner a “great planner” and says she performed well in East Bay Township. Planning Commission Chair Anna Dituri praised her “regional background and knowledge” and the city’s quick turnaround on the hire.

East Bay Township plans to post Karner’s position soon, with Friend estimating a three- to six-month search. The township recently hired a new zoning administrator, Tommy Roush, and will also use Beckett & Raeder for interim planning assistance.