Gwen Wright, who for nearly a decade served as Montgomery County’s top official for development and planning, announced Thursday that she’ll be retiring in January. The position is unglorified but essential to the commercial and residential development of Maryland’s most populous county.

“It has been a privilege to serve the community of Montgomery County, and to lead the land use and planning of this special place,” Wright says in a statement announcing her retirement.

Wright has served the county for 30 years, wearing many hats including historic preservation supervisor and planning division chief. In July 2013, she became the planning director.

During her career, which has included five years as chief of development in Alexandria, Wright worked on large urban redevelopment projects, like Landmark Mall and Potomac Yard in Alexandria.

Wright says she’s most proud of rewriting the county’s zoning code and completing a record number of master plans for communities such as Bethesda and Silver Spring, among other projects.

Wright also had her hand in the county’s new general plan, Thrive Montgomery 2050, a framework that maps out land use for housing and economic development. The last time the plan guiding the future of growth had been updated was in 1993. Thrive Montgomery 2050 focuses on making housing more affordable. Currently, the county is seeing a housing shortage.

While the plan has garnered support from progressive and “smart growth” groups, a preliminary racial equity analysis from the Office of Legislative Oversight raised questions about whether it would make things worse for residents of color. The plan is still under review from the Council.

It’s unclear who will replace Wright. The Montgomery County Public Information Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This article has been updated to correct who was asked for comment, and to clarify Wright’s accomplishments.