December 4, 2023
Brandon McGuire, Assistant City Manager for the City of Lawrence, was honored last week at the Kansas Association of City/County Management (KACM) annual conference with the Leadership Award. The Leadership Award, established in 2021, is presented to a KACM member who has led an organization or community through a difficult time and upholds ICMA’s Code of Ethics.
Brandon received the award due to leadership in our organization’s response to homelessness. Through his work, the City has formed productive and successful partnerships with several community organizations, including Douglas County and the Lawrence Community Shelter. Those partnerships have helped build a community plan, known as ‘A Place for Everyone,’ which tackles how the City and its partners plan to address homelessness comprehensively.
“Brandon’s professional dedication and strong policy skills have been essential to each stage of success with our work to end chronic homelessness,” said City Manager Craig Owens. “His resiliency to work through failed experiments and his integrity to face critics shows leadership that our profession should recognize. He has and will continue to serve as an example of the good that city management brings to our communities.”
Brandon’s work toward ending chronic homelessness has also included stabilizing the Lawrence Community Shelter to increase capacity and levels of service and organizing the establishment of a Pallet Shelter village, which will provide 50 private HVAC-served emergency shelters in a community setting.
“It is a great honor to be recognized by my colleagues in the city/county management profession, all of whom lead their own organizations and communities through adversity,” said McGuire. “I am especially thankful for the wisdom and support of my Lawrence and Douglas County colleagues, current and past, including Craig Owens, Casey Toomay, Diane Stoddard, Sarah Plinsky and Jill Jolicoeur. I am privileged to work in a community committed to ending to chronic homelessness for its residents.”
KACM also announced the recipient of the Buford M. Watson Jr. Award at their annual conference last week. This award is given to a local government manager who has displayed the attributes of the late Buford M. Watson, Jr. (former City Manager of Lawrence), which includes serving as a role model in dealing with constituents, valuing customer satisfaction and encouraging new members of the profession. Former Lawrence Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard is this year’s recipient. Diane became the City Administrator in Leawood earlier this year.
Congratulations to Brandon and Diane for these honors. Our community is fortunate to have dedicated leadership who carry forward our community’s strong traditions.
Media Contact: Cori Wallace, Director of Communications & Community Relations
City of Lawrence
785-764-8779
cwallace@lawrenceks.org
About the City of Lawrence
The City of Lawrence supports an unmistakably vibrant community with innovative, equitable, transparent and responsible local government. Together, we are creating a community where everyone can enjoy life and feel at home.