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Penny Postoak Ferguson

The new leader of Johnson County — a Lawrence native with ongoing ties to the city — thinks there will be more opportunities for Johnson County and Lawrence to work together as both communities continue to grow.

Earlier this month, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners appointed Penny Postoak Ferguson, who grew up in Lawrence, as county manager for Johnson County.

“We know both of our communities are going to continue to develop, and as growth happens along the (Kansas Highway 10) corridor, that’s when our communities should absolutely continue to build on our working relationship that we’ve established there,” Postoak Ferguson said. “There will be opportunities I think as growth happens over the years.”

The U.S. census estimates that Johnson County, which includes the cities of Overland Park, Olathe and Lenexa, among others, has about 590,000 residents, making it the most populous county in the state. Lawrence is also adding to its population, and had the fastest growth rate in the state last year.

Postoak Ferguson said her own home in Johnson County is only about 20 minutes from the eastern edge of Lawrence, adding that she often comes to town to visit family and friends. Postoak Ferguson, who is a member of the Choctaw Tribe of Oklahoma, is a Haskell Indian Nations University and University of Kansas alumna. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in public administration from KU and is president of the KU City Managers and Trainees Alumni Organization.

Regarding coordination between the two communities, Postoak Ferguson noted existing ties between higher education programs and the ongoing multiyear agreement between Lawrence and Johnson County to fund the K-10 Connector bus route, which has stops at KU’s Lawrence campus, Haskell Avenue, KU’s Edwards campus and Johnson County Community College. She said the local governments could build on that relationship, and she thinks there could be possible partnerships in the realms of criminal justice, public safety and economic development as the communities continue to grow.

Regional partnerships are not new for Johnson County. Postoak Ferguson said existing agreements among Johnson County and other governments in the region include partnerships to coordinate bus service, job fairs and watershed management throughout the Kansas City metro area. She said that her goals for Johnson County in particular, in addition to making progress on the strategic priorities set by the board of county commissioners, include maintaining the county’s success in financial management and citizen satisfaction.

Postoak Ferguson has served various positions with Johnson County since joining the staff in 2010, according to the Johnson County website. After six months as interim county manager, she was appointed to her current position beginning July 15. Previously, Postoak Ferguson worked for the cities of San Antonio, Overland Park and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kan.