Ellen M. McCarthy is the director of the Office of Planning for the United States city of Washington, D.C.[1] She previously served in that position from 2004 to 2007. Appointed by Mayor Anthony Williams,[2][3] She was forced out of the position by wealthy Ward 3 homeowner groups[4] who resented her development policies.
Before then, she served as deputy director for Development Review, Neighborhood Planning and Historic Preservation. McCarthy was former director of the DC Downtown Partnership, a group fostering revitalization of the historic downtown section of the city. She also ran a private practice in land use and transportation planning.
Between terms, she served as Director of Planning and Land Use at the Washington office of Arent Fox.[2]
She attended the University of Maryland, and has a Master of Urban Planning from Harvard University.[2]