Today, Mayor Jackie Biskupski announced the appointment of Lisa Shaffer to Director of the Department of Public Services.
Lisa is an 11-year employee of Salt Lake City, including two years as Administrative Services Director for Public Services. She has served for the past five months as Interim Director of the department. Her appointment is contingent on the advice and consent of the City Council.
“I’m very pleased to announce Lisa’s appointment to Director of Public Services,” Mayor Biskupski said. “She has proven her strong leadership abilities as Interim Director, and she brings a wide range of project, personnel, and budget management skills to the Director’s position. She is highly respected by her team and will ensure this highly visible department responds in a timely and efficient way in delivering services to the public.”
The Public Services Department oversees 13 divisions and operates under a $67 million annual budget. Department employees provide many of the direct services residents and visitors depend on every day, such as street repair, park maintenance, snow removal, open space management, golf course operations, tree maintenance, street signs and signals maintenance, and the Youth City program.
“I’ve loved serving the citizens of Salt Lake City and I am humbled by the opportunity to serve as the new Director of Public Services,” Lisa said. “Every decision I’ve made while working for the city is rooted in the basic truth that we work for the people. They count on us to provide essential services and to responsibly use their tax dollars in making their lives better. I look forward to working with the hundreds of Public Services who work every day to keep this city running, and who are truly dedicated to serving the people who live in and visit the place we call home.”
Lisa’s priorities include establishing stronger professional development programs for Public Services employees, many of whom are skilled tradespersons. Maintaining parks, public lands, and open spaces adequately for a population that loves its green spaces is another challenge, she said.
Prior to joining the city in 2006 as a plans examiner for the Building Division, Lisa worked in the private sector as a project manager and designer for Alliant Techsystems in Clearfield, Utah. She has been a project manager and development review administrator for the city’s Building Division, where she acted as a liaison between the city and developers on the City Creek Center, 222 South Main high-rise, and other complex projects.
Lisa earned a Bachelor’s Degree in business administration from Westminster College. She lives in the Sugar House community with her wife, Holly Simonsen, their daughter McKenzie, and their Alaskan Husky dog, Briscoe.