Doug Romig has been selected to lead and oversee the implementation of Polk County’s Blueprint to Address Homelessness, a five-year strategic vision plan that reflects community-defined priorities for improving services and resources within the homelessness response system in the county.

Romig has over 30 years of experience working in local and regional government. He currently is director of parks, recreation and community programs in Thornton, Colo, a position he’s held since November 2021. Before that, he was deputy director of Polk County Conservation for 6½
years and for the city of Des Moines for over 18 years. When he left Des Moines in May 2015, he was director of the city’s housing services department, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Romig has a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University, where he also received a master conservationist designation. He has held several community leadership roles, including serving on the boards of directors for the Iowa Conservation Association and the Iowa National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Doug on regional projects in the past and look forward to his leadership in this critical work,” Chris Coleman, Des Moines city council member and co-chair of the Polk County Blueprint for Housing Solutions Alliance that hired Romig. “He is uniquely prepared to foster public/private collaboration and has the ability to identify challenges and gaps while driving implementation of” the Blueprint to Address Homelessness. The Blueprint was released in May.

Romig will begin his new job on Oct. 6. An alliance spokesperson said she was unable to share Romig’s salary.

In addition to implementing the Blueprint, Romig will look for ways to pay for strategies included in the plan. When the Blueprint was unveiled in May, it was estimated it would cost over $1.5 million to implement.

The alliance, which includes representatives from the public, private, nonprofit and philanthropy sectors, is an oversight group that is providing guidance for implementation of the Blueprint.