Billions for brownfield redevelopment projects – an escalating marketplace to watch
by Mary Scott Nabers, CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
Brownfield projects now involve much more than remediation – projects are more diverse and quite large.
California fills leadership posts at new business, consumer agency
California Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed four senior officials to the new Business and Consumer Services Agency led by Secretary Rohit Chopra.
Oregon, Illinois release statewide resilience, climate plans
Oregon and Illinois released statewide plans for disaster resilience and emissions reductions.
Report identifies 10 states prepared for AI data center development
A report ranks 10 states for large-scale data center readiness based on power capacity, water stress and environmental factors.
North Plains Connector advances plans to link U.S. power grids
The $6 billion North Plains Connector has completed environmental review, advancing plans for a 422-mile transmission link.
DOE explores P3s for coal, oil and gas, geothermal technologies
DOE is seeking feedback on connecting private capital and P3 programs with coal, oil and gas, and geothermal technologies.
FTA awards $166M to replace aging rail vehicles
FTA will award $166 million to transit agencies in Pittsburgh, Dallas and Philadelphia to replace aging rail vehicles.
Texas Comptroller reorganizes senior leadership structure
Texas Comptroller Don Huffines announced a new leadership structure assigning broad portfolios to eight executives as the agency undergoes an internal reorganization.
Washington – John Mauro has taken over as city manager for Bainbridge Island. Mauro arrives from Port Townsend, Wash., where he had served as city manager since 2019. Earlier in his career, he served as chief sustainability officer for Auckland Council in New Zealand and as a policy analyst for Seattle’s mayor. Ellen Schroer had been serving as interim city manager since January.
Oklahoma – Dave Slezickey will become Nichols Hills city manager on Jan. 1, taking over for Shane Pate, who is stepping down at year’s end. Slezickey currently serves as city manager of The Village, Okla., and previously led Kingfisher, Okla. He is a past president of the City Managers Association of Oklahoma and is a command sergeant major in the Army National Guard.
North Carolina – Shayla Wiggins Savage becomes the next superintendent of Thomasville City Schools starting next month. She’s worked in public education for more than two decades, having most recently served as chief student services officer for the Iredell-Statesville School District. Savage has experience as a principal in Guilford and Randolph counties, plus spent time as a school leadership coach with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
Kentucky – Bill Bradford, interim superintendent for Fayette County Public Schools since June, has expressed interest in applying for the position on a permanent basis. Bradford took over after the former superintendent, Demetrus Liggins, retired. The school district has set a goal of having a new superintendent in place by March. Bradford has been assistant superintendent for Fayette County Public Schools since 2024.
California – Joseph Wren has retired as Placerville’s police chief, but he isn’t leaving the city. Wren has been appointed city manager. He joined the Placerville Police Department in 2016 and was named chief in 2020, right as the COVID-19 outbreak was just beginning. During his time as chief, Wren focused on working to modernize the department.
Missouri – Jason Waldron is the new public works director for Kansas City. A licensed professional engineer with more than three decades of experience, Waldron is being promoted from his current role as the city’s transportation director, where he provided executive leadership over the engineering, construction and multimodal transportation groups. Before joining the city, Waldron spent 17 years in the private sector as a transportation consultant.
Oregon – Jody Yates fills Eugene’s public works director position, which has been empty for the past year. Yates arrives from the Portland Bureau of Transportation, where she was group director for maintenance operations. Previously, she held roles in Beaverton, Ore., and with Clackamas County, Ore. She holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Marquette University.
Louisiana – Ron Parker, a captain in the Pineville Fire Department, is being bumped up to chief. He takes over for interim fire chief Kenneth Kessler at the recommendation of Mayor Joe Bishop. Kessler has indicated he plans to retire from the department and focus his attention on assisting volunteer fire departments in the surrounding area.
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