March 29, 2022
City Manager Craig Owens announced today that Melissa Sieben has been selected as the new Director of Municipal Services and Operations for the City of Lawrence, following a national search. Sieben is expected to begin her work with the City on April 29.
“Melissa is an enthusiastic and energetic leader with a passion for local government and community service,” said Owens. “She is skilled in working with employee teams to effectively deliver programs and projects that are responsive to community goals. I am excited to have her join our team to lead our Connected City strategic plan outcome and the Municipal Services and Operations Department.”
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 where she provided direct oversight to various operational departments, including Public Works. Inspiring teamwork is a core part of her dedication to local government service and she enjoys engaging employees in process improvement and innovation.
“I am excited to join the City of Lawrence as the new Director of Municipal Services and Operations,” Seiben said. “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. 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 with Distinction in History with a Minor in Political Science from Iowa State University.
Contact: Porter Arneill, Director of Communications and Creative Resources – parneill@lawrenceks.org | 785-764-3270
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Sieben most recently served as the Assistant County Administrator at the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas for seven years. Sieben provided direct oversight to County and City departments, including: Community Development, Delinquent Real Estate, Development Coordination & Customer Service Success, Emergency Management, Neighborhood Resource Center, Planning & Urban Design, Public Works (including Buildings and Logistics and Wastewater), Transportation, and Wyandotte County Historical Museum.
She also served the City of Ames, Iowa as Assistant City Manager, where she played a direct role in the executive management of the City’s Excellence Through People initiative that emphasized exceptional customer service and providing a stimulating work environment. Sieben also worked in the City of Gardner, Kansas as the Assistant City Administrator, as well as Interim City Administrator during her tenure. She worked closely with City departments to improve service through implementation of a performance measurement system with a focus on process improvements and efficiencies in operations of the organization.
Sieben was also privileged to be elected and served on the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Executive Board of Directors. She has served on multiple task forces for ICMA including the Task Force on Women in the Profession and the Task Force on Strengthening Inclusiveness.