The City of Athens has a new director of Public Works, welcoming Stacy Dowden from Lake Charles, Louisiana, where she previously had performed the same role. 

City officials said that Dowden brings “a wealth of experience from her time” in Lake Charles, which earlier this year broke ground on its own new Public Works campus with Dowden at the helm. 

“Now, she’s ready to help keep Athens beautiful and functional while also progressing it into the future,” the city said in a statement to social media. 

“I’m excited about the opportunity to bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm to Athens while preserving its unique charm,” added Dowden.

As director of Public Works, Dowden will oversee an array of municipal operations that includes engineering, sanitation, and streets maintenance, according to the city’s now-filled job posting. 

“The Public Works Director,” the posting stated, “has direct supervision over City Engineer, Sanitation Superintendent, Streets Superintendent, and Administrative Coordinator.”

The director of Public Works in Athens plays a key role in maintaining the city’s existing infrastructure of public services while anticipating its rapidly expanding needs. 

“The [D]irector will need to balance the demands of change in a community that has small town values and quality of life, but occupies a high growth area with the increasing needs for additional service levels, evolving systems and new approaches to service delivery,” the city’s job posting noted.