City of Council Bluffs issued the following announcement on Dec. 2.
Matt Mardesen has joined the City of Council Bluffs Mayor’s Office as Chief of Staff. Originally from Anita, Iowa, Mardesen is a life-long Iowa resident with a wealth of experience in public service.
Mardesen holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Human Resources Management from Simpson College and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Executive Leadership from Drake University. In addition to his collegiate coursework, he has also completed a Certified Public Managers Program and earned the nationally recognized certification from the National Certified Public Managers Consortium in July of 2010.
Mardesens’s public service career began in law enforcement before transitioning into city management. Mardesen worked in Investigations for Iowa Workforce Development from 2009 – 2012, then as the City Administrator and Economic Development Director for the City of Monroe from 2012 to 2017, and from 2017 until now he’s served as City Administrator for the City of Nevada.
In September of 2019, Mardesen was awarded the Iowa City/ County Management Association (IaCMA), “City Manager of the Year.” This annual award recognizes a city manager whose accomplishments and superior work performance represent the best possible application of management principles, and whose creative contributions increase public awareness of the value of professional management to the quality of life in our communities.
Aside from his education and experience, Mardesen has been actively engaged at the local and state level. Most recently, he has served as a board member for the Nevada Economic Development Council and the Ames Economic Development Commission. Additionally, Mardesen has been an active member of the International City/County Management Association, Rotary, and Iowa League of Cities.
Mardesen found the Council Bluffs Chief of Staff position appealing because of the size of Council Bluffs and the current state of growth. “Council Bluffs is positioned well to prosper, and I believe that I have the knowledge and experience to elevate the mission and continually improve the quality of life and attractiveness of the City of Council Bluffs,” said Mardesen.
Mardesen and his wife, Joni, have three sons, Tyler, Brady, and Connor. “Moving to Council Bluffs allows us to be closer to our hometowns of Shelby and Anita and therefore spend more time with family,” said Mardesen. He and his family enjoy the outdoors, playing golf, boating, and spending quality time together. “We’re looking forward to being part of the Council Bluffs community and taking advantage of the many local businesses and amenities.”
“We’re fortunate to have Matt Mardesen join our team,” said Mayor Matt Walsh. “Matt is well-versed with the public service network throughout the state of Iowa and he’s a strong leader with a career history that demonstrates his innovation and integrity.”
Matt Mardesen began his role as Chief of Staff on Monday, November 18th. “I am impressed by the leadership team that Council Bluffs has on staff, and I look forward to working together as a team,” said Mardesen.
Original source can be found here.
Source: City of Council Bluffs
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