The newly formed regional planning group for the Greater Danbury area has chosen a new executive director.  The Western Connecticut Council of Governments has named Francis Pickering to the position.  He replaces Craig Leiner who resigned after about a month on the job.  Pickering had worked for a different regional planning agency, but that was before a state mandate that several group merge together.  The newly formed group is made up of the 18 towns spanning from Sherman down to Greenwich.  Bethel First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker is the group's chairman.