Senior appointment changes at the Ministry of National Development, National Parks Board and Urban Redevelopment Authority

The Ministry of National Development (MND), National Parks Board (NParks) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced today the following senior appointment changes at NParks and URA:

• Mr Kenneth Er (余文辉), will relinquish his current appointment as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NParks and be appointed as Deputy Secretary (Planning), Ministry of National Development from 1 Jun 2023; 

• Ms Hwang Yu-Ning (黄攸寜), currently Deputy CEO and Chief Planner of URA, will be appointed CEO of NParks from 1 Jun 2023; and

• Ms Tan Shiao Ling, Adele (陈俏玲), currently Chief Infrastructure Planning Officer (CIPO) at MND, will hold concurrent appointments as Deputy CEO and Chief Planner of URA from 1 June 2023. 

As CEO of NParks since 2014, Mr Kenneth Er played a key role in the conceptualisation of the City in Nature vision, one of the five pillars under the Singapore Green Plan 2030, and led NParks to realise the vision by conserving and extending Singapore’s natural capital island-wide.  

Mr Er drove the establishment of Nature Park Networks to buffer our nature reserves while increasing nature-based recreation options for the public. To guide urban planners and ensure that ecology is considered upfront in carrying out long-term planning, Mr Er proposed a study to develop a more comprehensive picture of Singapore’s island-wide ecosystem and ecological connectivity, the Ecological Profiling Exercise, as part of the Long-Term Plan Review (LTPR). His emphasis on taking a science-based approach and the use of technology has also guided NParks to integrate technology into park and greenery management operations and biodiversity conservation efforts, and distinguish itself as a leader in arboriculture, horticulture and nature conservation. In 2019, with the transfer of animal-related functions to NParks, Mr Er drove the adoption of a community- and science-based approach towards wildlife and animal management, and galvanised the new Animal & Veterinary Service cluster to strengthen capacities and enhance competencies in animal health and welfare.

During his time as CEO, Mr Er led several major milestones and projects for Singapore’s parks and gardens. The Singapore Botanic Gardens was inscribed as Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Gardens' Tyersall-Gallop Core was completed. The masterplans to enhance Fort Canning Park and Jurong Lake Gardens were developed and implemented. Mr Er also envisioned the rejuvenation of East Coast Park through the creation of view corridors towards the sea to add to the sense of openness. In addition, he pushed for the development of the Round Island Route and various recreational networks. Under Mr Er’s leadership, community stewardship has grown through well-received programmes such as the Community in Nature initiative, Friends of the Parks initiative and OneMillionTrees movement, and this has set the foundation for the community to be further involved in the transformation of Singapore into a City in Nature in the years ahead. 

Ms Hwang Yu-Ning is currently URA’s Deputy CEO and Chief Planner. She led URA in the recently completed LTPR, a national exercise that charts out land use and infrastructure strategies to guide Singapore’s development as a sustainable and resilient city-state over the next 50 years and beyond. As part of the LTPR, URA also embarked on an extensive year-long public engagement exercise involving more than 15,000 people from all walks of life. Ms Hwang also steered the review of the Draft Master Plan 2019, another national-level initiative which sets out detailed plans and policies to guide the cohesive development of physical and social infrastructure across Singapore over 10 to 15 years. In both exercises, she formulated strategy, managed land use and physical development plans, and worked closely with the public and private sectors to realise Singapore’s planning vision.

Ms Tan Shiao Ling Adele is currently MND’s Chief Infrastructure Planning Officer. Having held key positions at MND, URA and NParks, her experience in the public service would contribute positively to her new appointment as Deputy CEO and Chief Planner. Most notably, in her last role as URA’s Group Director for Strategic Planning, she guided and managed the LTPR as well as oversaw the review of land use planning policies to optimise land, meet Singapore’s diverse economic, social and environmental needs, and address future challenges. 

Detailed write-ups of Mr Er, Ms Hwang and Ms Tan are in the Annex [PDF, 129 KB] ↗ (opens in new tab) [PDF, 129kb].

We thank Mr Er, Ms Hwang and Ms Tan for their continued contribution to the MND Family.

Issued by:

Ministry of National Development 
National Parks Board 
Urban Redevelopment Authority