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Riverside highlights economic development wins and names three employees of the year
Summary
Interim Community & Economic Development director Miranda Evans summarized 2025 accomplishments — more than $300 million in construction investment, thousands of permits and targets for the 2026 general plan update — and honored three employees of the year: Judy, Ed Torres and Steve Kim.
The Riverside Community & Economic Development (CED) department presented a year-in-review and 2026 priorities during the April 14 council meeting, then recognized three employees of the year.
Interim CED Director Miranda Evans said CED oversaw more than $300 million in construction investment in 2025, issued roughly 5,500 permits and completed nearly 48,000 inspections while advancing long-range planning efforts such as the 2026 general plan update and a climate action plan. Evans described a renewed focus on streamlining review processes, equity and place-based strategies to spur housing and economic growth.
"We are the revenue generating engine behind so many of the services people rely on every day in Riverside," Evans said, and outlined an implementation-focused 'book of work' for the department.
The council joined Evans in recognizing three employees of the year for 2025: Judy (senior planner) — praised for leading major projects while battling cancer and for work on the $912 million Riverside Community Hospital expansion — Ed Torres (senior code enforcement officer), and Steve Kim (assistant building official) who recently earned a structural engineer credential.
The council received and filed the department overview and joined staff and honorees for a photograph in the chamber.
