Dan Smith, highway administrator for Greene County, has been selected to fill the city of Springfield’s vacant Public Works director position.
Effective Dec. 1, Smith succeeds Phil Broyles, who died from cancer in March, according to a news release.
“We were very honored to have the cream of the crop apply for this position - the best of the city, county, state, and private sector. Dan rose to the top and I believe he'll be very responsive to the citizens of Springfield,” City Manager Greg Burris said in the release.
Smith, who will earn a salary of $114,000, was picked above finalists Jonathan Gano, assistant director of Public Works, and Becky Baltz, district engineer for the Southwest District of the Missouri Department of Transportation.
A selection committee that included public and private sector representatives narrowed the three down from an initial 23 applications. The finalists then interviewed with Public Works staff, the city’s leadership team and Burris, according to the release.
As highway administrator for Greene County, Smith is responsible for all operations of the Greene County Highway Department, which maintains 1,250 miles of roadway - including 200 bridges - and an annual budget of $25 million. Smith started his career in 1993 in MoDOT's Springfield district and worked in the design and traffic engineering departments. He began working for Greene County in 2002, first as project manager and then assistant highway administrator. He was promoted to his current position in 2005.
As Public Works director, Smith will oversee a department that handles the maintenance and construction of the city's infrastructure, including 935 lane miles of street; 138 traffic signals; 38,000 traffic and street signs; 100 public buildings - comprising nearly 1.2 million square feet; 70 bridges and waterways; Hazelwood Cemetery; and 800 city vehicles, according to
Springfield Business Journal archives.
“The leadership team at the city of Springfield is first class, and I count it a privilege to join them,” Smith said in the release. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to serve our community in this new capacity.”
In Broyles’ stead, Gano and Kirk Juranas served as interim co-directors of the department.[[In-content Ad]]
