At the October 26, 2021 City of Lake Ozark Board of Aldermen meeting, Mr. David Mitchem was appointed to serve as Lake Ozark’s next City Administrator.  The Board’s unanimous support comes after a months-long hiring process that attracted qualified candidates from around the nation, an interview process overseen by local residents and business leaders, and the opportunity to meet with the Board to discuss his role with the city moving forward.

 

Mr.  Mitchem comes to Lake Ozark with a strong resume showing a history of success in the private and public sectors, as well as educational experiences that will serve him well in Lake Ozark.  Having received a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Business Administration from Lincoln University, as well as a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Missouri at Columbia, Mitchem has spent much of his career working for and leading state agencies.  He served as the Director of the Colorado Division of Labor, the Deputy Director and Chief Operations Officer for the Missouri Department of Economic Development, and was the Executive Director for the Missouri Training and Employment Council.

 

He also brings prior experience in local government with him to Lake Ozark.  He worked as Pagosa Springs, Colorado’s Town Manager for several years, where he was able to guide the tourist community through the construction of a $6.8 million infrastructure expansion project. In his tenure with the community, Pagosa Springs saw a growth in tourism and attracted a diverse group of new businesses to invest locally.

 

About Lake Ozark’s future with Mitchem at the table, Mayor Dennis Newberry says, “The City of Lake Ozark is in a very fortunate economic position.  Post-COVID, our revenues are at an all-time high, and we will continue with this momentum.  With David Mitchem on board as our new City Administrator, and Harrison Fry continuing as our Assistant City Administrator, I am confident their collaboration will harness this momentum into achieving much needed infrastructure improvements and help guide us confidently into the future.”

 

When asked about his future as City Administrator, Mitchem offers, “I am looking forward to working in partnership with the talented team at Lake Ozark.  Given the strong Board of Aldermen and skilled staff, the next few years will be exciting and productive.”

 

David Mitchem will begin his service to the City of Lake Ozark on November 15.