The City of Pleasant Hill is pleased to announce Madeline Sturms has been promoted to the position of Assistant City Manager/Community Development Director.
With the addition of Assistant City Manager to her role, Sturms will coordinate activities of the City, develop and administer policies, programs and projects, and assist the City Manager in the conduct of the City’s operations. Sturms will retain her duties as the Community Development Director where she leads economic development duties for the City and a team responsible for the City’s comprehensive development plan, building inspections, communications, and the parks and recreation division.
“Madeline Sturms is an invested leader in this community and her profession. She has managed the largest capital projects in the City’s history and continuously coordinates our City operations making this a natural transition to Assistant City Manager/Community Development Director,” said J. Benjamin Champ, City Manager. “Her vision and passion for Pleasant Hill will further our efforts to be the community of choice in the Des Moines metro.”
Sturms earned her B.S. in Community and Regional Planning from Iowa State University and her Master of Public Administration from Drake University. She previously served as a Regional Planner for the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission in Burlington, Iowa. She began her career with the City of Pleasant Hill in 2013 as the Associate Planner/Storm Water Coordinator. Sturms was quickly promoted to the leadership role of Senior Planner in 2015 to assist in all areas of the Community Development Department and again in 2017 to Community Development Director.
“Working for the City of Pleasant Hill affords me the opportunity to see the results and impacts of leading growth and positive change every day,” said Sturms. “I have the benefit of a City Council focused on the intentional growth of Pleasant Hill and look forward to continuing to make an impact.”
When Sturms is not executing thoughtful plans for the City of Pleasant Hill, she enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband, Ryan, children, Claire and Martin, and rescue dog, Charlie. She likes to cook, travel, run, and is an avid podcast listener.