Dave Wagner, a City of Lawrence employee for more than four decades, will retire at the end of the year, according to a city news release Wednesday.
Wagner has served as director of the city’s Municipal Services & Operations (MSO) Department since 2018, but he served in numerous roles in the Utilities Department beginning in June 1980. Melinda Harger, assistant director of MSO, will serve as interim director until a new director is hired through a national search.
“I have enjoyed serving the Lawrence community for the last 40+ years,” Wagner said in the city’s release. “It has been an honor to lead the Municipal Services & Operations Department and the employees who work tirelessly to provide Lawrence with vital services. Those employees will continue to give their best every day to make Lawrence a great place to live.”
City Manager Craig Owens said in the release that Wagner’s work overseeing the merger between the Public Works and Utilities departments in 2018 “returned immediate benefits and will continue to benefit the city for many years to come.
“After four decades of service to Lawrence, Dave’s legacy is well-cemented in the city and in our community,” Owens said.
