After several months of operating as a four-member board, the Forsyth County planning commission welcomed a new District 3 board member at the group’s public hearing meeting Tuesday night.

Keith Banke replaces former District 3 board member Patrick Britt, who resigned earlier this year after less than a year in the position.

It was not publicly released why Britt resigned.

Banke, who moved to Forsyth County in 2007 with his wife, Barbara, has lived in District 3 in southwest Forsyth for several months.

“I love living in Forsyth County and will support quality projects for residential, commercial and manufacturing use,” Banke told the Forsyth County News. “I will [also] work to support the new comprehensive plan and work with applicants and citizens to reach fair recommendations to the [Board of Commissioners] for District 3 while keeping abreast of the various applications for rezoning, conditional use permits, etc., for all the districts of Forsyth County.”

Banke, who is retired, made his career in real estate, where, as director of worldwide real estate, he specialized in industrial and commercial projects.

The projects included selecting site locations and completing all necessary municipal planning requirements, he said.

Banke graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in metallurgical engineering and received a master’s of business administration from Michigan State University following a three-year tour of duty with the Air Force as a meteorologist and weather officer.

Banke and his wife have four adult children.

County commissioners appoint planning board members for their prospective district. District 3’s commissioner is Commission Chairman Todd Levent.