Director of the District of Columbia Office of Zoning
Sara Benjamin Bardin was appointed the Director of the District of Columbia Office of Zoning by the Zoning Commission (ZC) of the District of Columbia effective January 1, 2012, to lead the independent Office of Zoning, which provides administrative, professional, and technical assistance to the ZC and the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA).
Ms. Bardin, a 30+ year resident of the District of Columbia, joined the Office of Zoning in 2000. Prior to becoming Director, Ms. Bardin was responsible for agency budget, finance, performance, procurement, visual design, and public information. She successfully executed the challenging roles of managing the agency's budget and finances through more than 10 budget cycles, reforming the agency's customer service culture to where the agency consistently ranked among the top five District agencies for customer service, working with a city-wide taskforce to reform the District's Building Code, and working tirelessly to ensure that Title 11 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) (Zoning Regulations) are updated and available to the public. In her capacity as Public Affairs Officer, Ms. Bardin helped to elevate the public profile of the agency.
As Director, Ms. Bardin has been successful in leading a 24‐person team, with a mission to provide administrative services to the ZC and the BZA. She demonstrated exceptional operational leadership, financial and budgetary acuity, and service to the customer. She managed the implementation of new award‐winning technologies that assist the public in accessing zoning information 24/7. She effectively monitored agency funding to ensure all funds were expended appropriately and spending followed all district guidelines and mandates. And she led the agency in the revision of the Rules of Practice and Procedure for both the ZC and BZA.
Prior to joining the Office of Zoning, Ms. Bardin, worked at a 16-person architectural firm in Washington, D.C. Ms. Bardin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio.