Published: August 20, 2024
Bartow, Fla. (August 20, 2024) – Two longtime government employees, John Bohde and Benjamin Dunn, have been appointed to new Polk County positions, which they will each begin on Sept. 30.
John Bohde will work as Deputy County Manager over the Infrastructure Group and Benjamin Dunn will become Director of the Office of Planning and Development.
Bohde has more than 25 years of government and private sector experience in professional planning. He currently serves as the Office of Planning and Development Director, overseeing three divisions: the Building Division, Land Development Division and the Transportation Planning Organization.
Bohde ensured the proper integration of staff resources and efforts in the implementation of the Polk County Comprehensive Plan, the Land Development Code and the TPO Long Range Transportation Plan. Prior to leading the Office of Planning and Development, Bohde was the Polk County Land Development Division Director, overseeing 40 employees and a $4.5 million budget. Bohde’s responsibilities included implementation of the Polk County Land Development Code and Comprehensive Plan, and technical reviews of engineering and construction plans for private developments. He also had an integral role in the establishment of a Land Use Hearing Officer process, and maintained a professional working relationship with local stakeholders.
Bohde earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Florida Southern College and a Master of Public Administration from the University of South Florida. He is a member of the American Polk County Institute of Certified Planners and received his Certified Public Manager (CPM) designation in 2018. His salary will be $178,548.02.
Dunn has 24 years of government and agency experience in building permit and inspection administration, economic development, land use planning, transportation planning, zoning, development review, code enforcement, housing and tourism. He has spent 18 years with the Polk County Board of County Commissioners.
Dunn started as an entry-level planner and advanced to Building Division Director. For the past four years, he has served as the Polk County Building Division Director, managing a $14 plus million-dollar budget and the daily operations of the Building Division. Dunn has advanced additional innovative technology efforts to serve customers by implementing auto assignment of inspections, scheduling of inspections via text message, a customer inspection tracker tool, and Develop Polk (Open Counter), a technology tool that residents, developers and new businesses can use to identify time frames and costs associated with conducting business in Polk County.
Dunn also served as the Development Services Department Director at Highlands County BoCC, where he oversaw seven divisions. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and a Master of Public Administration graduate degree from Troy University. He is a Certified Public Manager and is a graduate of Leadership Bartow, Class 15, and Leadership Polk, Class 8. Dunn will earn $153,886.54 annually.