Following a national search, the city has selected Melissa Sieben as the new director of Municipal Services and Operations, according to a news release Tuesday. Sieben, who recently served as assistant county administrator at the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas for seven years, has 23 years of local government experience serving communities in Illinois, Iowa and Kansas, according to the release. “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!”
Source: The Lawrence Times

Gabi Sprague is the new human services program manager for Douglas County. She’ll focus on preventing homelessness and helping unify the work of local social service agencies. Though the title is new for Sprague, the work isn’t. Sprague previously was the Housing Stabilization Collaborative (HSC) program manager with the United Way of Douglas County. HSC represents a joint effort of multiple community organizations that began as a grant-funded program through Family Promise of Lawrence after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The mission: preventing homelessness, eviction and loss of utilities while helping navigate community resources. That process can feel overwhelming to those who need financial support, especially during a pandemic.
Source: The Lawrence Times