(KAIR)--Atchison city officials announced today the hiring of Justin Pregont as its Director of Public Works.

Pregont was chosen for the position after completing a grueling 24-hour interview process, and interviewing with three different panels including a panel made up of community members, one of experts in public works operations, and one made up of the City’s department heads.

Pregont currently serves as Project Manager for the Public Works Department in the City of Mission, Kansas.  He is a native of Atchison and attended school here through his undergraduate career at Benedictine College.  He brings four years of experience in public works management, and has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Kansas.  Pregont is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Public Works Association, the American Society for Public Administration, and the International City/County Management Association.   

The Public Works Department is responsible for management of the City’s streets, parks, watershed dams, solid waste operations, fleet maintenance, and several city-owned facilities, such as the Santa Fe Depot and the Amelia Earhart Airport.

City Manager Trey Cocking also announces the reclassification of a Public Works Department position. Clinton McNemee, Parks Superintendent, is now the Deputy Director of Public Works. In McNemee’s tenure as Parks Superintendent his responsibilities have grown to other divisions within the Public Works Department, and the Deputy Director position better describes his current role within the organization.

Pregont will assume his duties on September 30, 2013.