Mayor Miro Weinberger has appointed Burlington Electric Department general manager Neale Lunderville to serve as interim director of the city's Community & Economic Development Office.

Lunderville will replace Noelle MacKay, who announced last month that she will step down to take a job at the Regulatory Assistance Project, a renewable energy nonprofit in Montpelier.

He'll start as acting CEDO head at the end of this week and, if the city council approves the appointment, would begin as interim director on July 16. He'd stop working for Burlington Electric at that time, according to a city press release.



Lunderville would serve until December of this year and, according to a memo from Weinberger, does not plan to apply for the permanent CEDO post. The city would conduct a national search to fill Lunderville's old job at Burlington Electric.

Lunderville has led the utility since July 2014. He previously worked in a variety of positions for former governor Jim Douglas, first on Douglas' campaign, then later as director of communications, secretary of transportation and secretary of administration.

Then-governor Peter Shumlin appointed Lunderville to serve as Irene recovery officer in 2011. Lunderville later cofounded and led NG Advantage, an energy company that transports natural gas.

Lunderville will oversee several Burlington development projects currently in the works, including Memorial Auditorium, the Moran Plant and the redevelopment of the Burlington Town Center.