Marion community development director Treharne leaving after 21 years with city

MARION — After 21 years with the city of Marion, community development director Tom Treharne is leaving early next month to join NextEra Energy.

Treharne joined the city in 2001 as the planning and development director and became community development director with the merging of the planning and development and building departments in 2019. He also served as the interim city manager for several months in 2021 following the departure of former city manager Lon Pluckhahn.

“After 21 years, it’s hard to move on,” Treharne told The Gazette on Monday. “But I leave proud and feeling accomplished. It’s just time for something new and I look forward to my next adventure.”

Treharne, whose salary was $149,666, is set to become a senior project manager for NextEra Energy. He said his family plans to remain in Marion.

NextEra, which has operated in Iowa since 1999, is planning to construct two utility-scale solar projects near Palo next year. The company also has 11 wind projects in the state. The Palo site — near the decommissioned Duane Arnold nuclear plant — would be its first solar project in Iowa, though it has them in 27 other states.

During his time with the city, Treharne led the city’s long-term planning efforts, including the development of the 2010 Central Corridor Plan, the completion of the Sixth Avenue corridor and the Seventh Avenue streetscape project.

Other projects, including the neighborhood at Indian Creek, Tower Terrace Road, the Uptown Master Plan and the Central Plaza have happened or have been happening under Treharne’s watch.

“Working for Marion has been an exceptional experience and I feel fortunate to have been involved in so many great projects,” Treharne said. “The pace at which Marion has grown has given me opportunities many planners simply don’t get to experience.”

Treharne also has been active partner of the Marion Chamber of Commerce, Marion Economic Development Corporation and Uptown Marion District and continues to serve on the board of directors for Marion Cares, a nonprofit that focuses on helping children and families in the community.

“Much of the momentum we are currently experiencing is the product of many years of planning and establishing a bigger vision for our city,” Marion Mayor Nick AbouAssaly said. “Tom Treharne was an important part of these efforts.”

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