Manhattan announces new assistant city manager

MANHATTAN (KSNT) - The City of Manhattan has announced Wyatt Thompson will be joining the City Manager's Office as an assistant city manager.

Thompson will be in charge of project management and supervision of division leaders in building services and at the animal shelter, according to the City of Manhattan.

Thompson graduated from Kansas State University in 2005 with degrees in landscape architecture and environmental science, according to the City of Manhattan. He started work for the City Park and Recreation Department in 2012 and held several roles including park planner, senior park planner and assistant director before being named interim director in May 2022.

“I am grateful for my time with the Parks and Recreation team over the last 10 years, and I am confident that new leadership will continue to bring positive change,” Thompson said. “I am excited to transition to the City Manager’s team and continue my commitment to public service. Manhattan is my home of more than 20 years and I look forward to ongoing work to improve our community.”

Prior to working for the City, Thompson worked for eight years in the private sector at engineering firms Shwab-Eaton and HNTB on planning and design projects in Kansas and Missouri, according to the City of Manhattan.

Thompson served as the lead project manager for the new recreation centers in Manhattan, overseeing the process from 2014 through the construction and opening in 2021.

Thompson will be responsible for the management of major projects including the last project of the 2017 Quality of Life Sales Tax effort aimed at renovating the CiCo Park ballfields and tennis courts, according to the City of Manhattan.

Thompson will bring three divisions previously overseen by the Parks and Recreation Department, the Building Maintenance Division and Animal Shelter Division as part of his oversight in the City Manager's Office.

“Wyatt has done a great job in his interim MPRD role, and we are excited to bring his skillsets and experience into an organizational role to assist in project management and other citywide efforts,” City Manager Ron Fehr said. “We look forward to working with him in this new position, which upgrades a vacancy in our office.”