© 2024 University of Missouri - KBIA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Columbia names interim Public Works director

Shane Creech has been named the new interim Public Works Department director as David Nichols, director for the past six years, retired Thursday.

Creech has his eyes on the permanent position of Public Works director and has spent the past 10 years working within the department.

Creech grew up in Hannibal before attending MU and graduating with a degree in civil engineering. He worked at a consulting firm in Kansas City for three years before getting a job in building plan reviews for the city of Overland Park.

Eventually, he received a job as Boone County manager of design and construction, which allowed him to move back to Columbia.

Creech was initially hired by the city of Columbia to be the engineering supervisor in a sector of the Public Works Department. He handled building plan reviews and worked with inspectors to handle privately funded public infrastructure.

He then went on to become the engineering manager of the Building and Site Development sector of Public Works, a position he held for a year.

In 2015, then-City Manager Mike Matthes proposed a Community Development Department within Public Works, which was a culmination of the Office of Neighborhood Services, the Building and Site Development Division and the Planning and Development Department.

After the merger was completed, Creech worked for the Community Development Department for 10 years before being asked by Deputy City Manager De’Carlon Seewood to take on the role of interim director.

Creech will serve as the interim director until a new city manager is appointed in January, who will then take on the task of hiring a new permanent Public Works Director.

The Columbia Missourian is a community news organization managed by professional editors and staffed by Missouri School of Journalism students who do the reporting, design, copy editing, information graphics, photography and multimedia.