March 27, 2019
Mayor Lisa Larsen announced today that the Lawrence City Commission has chosen two finalists for the position of City Manager: Susan E. Sherman and Craig Owens. Both candidates are graduates of the University of Kansas Master of Public Administration program and both are International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Credentialed Managers. Ms. Sherman is the Assistant City Manager for the City of Olathe. Mr. Owens is the City Manager of Clayton, Missouri.
On Sunday, April 7, starting at 1:30 p.m., the City Commission will hold a community meeting at the Carnegie Building. During this meeting, each of the finalists will give a 30-minute presentation to introduce themselves, share information about their background, and share their proposed plan for their first 100 days in our community. This will be followed by a 30-minute public question/answer session. The presentations and Q & A will be videotaped for online access after the community meeting.
On Monday, April 8, each candidate will meet with the Executive staff followed by a final interview with the City Commissioners. A final decision will be announced upon completion of negotiations with the chosen candidate.
Mayor Larsen thanks her fellow commissioners, City Attorney Toni Wheeler, Ralph Andersen & Associates, staff and everyone who assisted with this process. She is most appreciative of all the candidates for their interest in our community.
Media contact: Mayor Lisa Larsen, llarsen@lawrenceks.org, (785) 331-9162
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| Susan Sherman Susan Sherman is the Assistant City Manager for the City of Olathe, Kansas where she has served since 1989. She is responsible for the day to day operations of the police, fire, parks and recreation, municipal court, and information technology departments. Susan earned a Bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Master of Public Administration from the Edwin O. Stene Public Affairs and Administration School at the University of Kansas. She is an International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Credentialed Manager. Susan has been awarded the Assistant Excellence in Leadership Award in honor of Buford Watson Jr. by the ICMA and the ICMA Career Development Award. Susan co-chaired the ICMA Task Force on Leadership, and currently serves on the ICMA Leadership Advisory Board. She has previously served on the Board of the Kansas Association of City/County Management and as ICMA Mountain Plains Regional Vice President for the ICMA Executive Board. Susan is married to Fred Sherman and they have two college-aged children. _______________________________ |
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| Craig Owens Craig Owens is the City Manager of the City of Clayton, Missouri where he has served since 2008. Over the past 25 years he has served similar positions for the cities of Rowlett, Texas, O’Fallon, Illinois, and Hazelwood, Missouri. Craig holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Kansas. He is an International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Credentialed Manager. Craig is former president of the St. Louis Area City/County Management Association and is currently serving as President of the Missouri City/County Management Association. Craig recently completed his service as a Board Member for Beyond Housing, where he also served as chair for three years. Craig is married and has three children. |