photo by: contributed

Melissa Sieben

The City of Lawrence has announced a new director of municipal services and operations.

City Manager Craig Owens announced in a news release Tuesday that Melissa Sieben has been selected for the position following a national search. Owens said he was excited to have Sieben join the city’s team and lead the MSO department.

“Melissa is an enthusiastic and energetic leader with a passion for local government and community service,” Owens said in the release. “She is skilled in working with employee teams to effectively deliver programs and projects that are responsive to community goals.”

Sieben has 23 years of local government experience serving communities in Illinois, Iowa and Kansas. Most recently, she served as assistant county administrator at the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, for seven years. There she provided direct oversight to various operational departments, including public works. Sieben said in the release that she was looking forward to her new position.

“I am looking forward to working with Municipal Services and Operations staff and City leadership to implement the goals of the strategic plan and continue to enhance service delivery,” Sieben said in the release. “Lawrence is an amazing community and I look forward to being part of this team that is investing in functional and efficient infrastructure!”

Sieben holds a master of public administration degree from the University of Kansas and a bachelor of arts in history with a minor in political science from Iowa State University.

Sieben replaces Dave Wagner, who recently retired after more than four decades with the city. She is expected to begin her work with the city on April 29.