Press Releases

The City of Topeka is proud to announce that its Department of Administrative and Financial Service has received the Certificate of Achievement for the 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA).

An ACFR is a set of financial statements for a state, municipality or other governmental organization that comply with the accounting requirements. This set of documents communicates the full scope of the city’s audited financial results of the 2022 fiscal year.

Finance staff completes a 6-month long process that involves hundreds of staff hours to deliver this report to our constituents and the Topeka City Council. The city’s Finance team has received the ACFR award for the last 9 years.

Acting Chief Financial Officer Rachelle Matthews had this to say about the achievement, “I am extremely proud of the finance and accounting staff across the city for their hard work and dedication to this process. This is truly a team effort and without their diligence, we could not provide this level of detail and transparency for our citizens.”

Learn more about the Government Finance Officers Association here: https://www.gfoa.org/about.

Visitors of the popular Kaw River State Park may notice excavation work near the boat ramp located in the northeast corner of the park. This earth and excavation work, led by the City of Topeka, is part of the greater Topeka Riverbank Restoration Project.

The Topeka Riverbank Restoration Project is a two-year project, and encompasses 22 acres of land in the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ 76-acre Kaw River State Park. The restoration project, led by Friends of the Kaw (FOK), aims to remove non-native plants and invasive species from the area.

Currently, the City’s contractor is making improvements in the boat ramp area to reduce erosion and sediment loss. Additionally, the contractor will be constructing some nested basins near the parking lot to promote water quality by infiltration and filtration. The excavation work is expected to be complete in the next few weeks, weather permitting.

Once complete, FOK and project partners will work with volunteers to return native grasses, wildflowers, trees, and shrubs to the area. Returning native plants will stabilize soil, while improving drainage and water quality of the river. All of the City’s water originates from the Kansas River.

The Topeka Riverbank Restoration Project is made possible by FOK, Native Lands LLC, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, the City of Topeka Utilities Department, and Shawnee County Extension Master Gardeners.

To learn more about the Topeka Riverbank Restoration Project, including volunteer opportunities, visit https://kansasriver.org/get-involved/volunteer/riverbank-restoration-volunteer-opportunities/.

For more on Kaw River State Park, visit https://ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks/Locations/Kaw-River.

 

The City of Topeka is pleased to announce the appointment of Ben Hart as the Interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective Tuesday, April 16. With over 25 years of experience in the public sector, Hart brings extensive expertise to the role. As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), he previously served as a Director with Baker Tilly and held key positions in resource management for large municipalities in the Kansas City Metropolitan area.

 

Hart’s dedication to public service is evident through his active involvement in the Kansas and Missouri Society of CPAs, where he contributes to the governmental accounting committee and the Government Financial Officers Association at both national and local levels.

 

Interim City Manager Richard U. Nienstedt expressed enthusiasm about Hart’s appointment stating, “Mr. Hart’s experience and dedication to public service will serve Topeka well as the city transitions into new leadership with the next city manager.”

 

Hart’s tenure as Interim CFO will continue until a permanent replacement is found.

The City of Topeka announced Thursday that it hired Freddy Mawyin to serve as its next Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Mawyin currently serves as the Senior Economic Advisor at the Greater Topeka Partnership (GTP).

Prior to his role at GTP, Mawyin served in the United States Army as an Intelligence Officer. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Washburn University, and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Spanish from the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Mawyin sits on various community boards and committees, including the United Way of Kaw Valley’s Board of Directors and the Topeka Community Foundation Asset Management Committee.

“Freddy comes to the city with an impressive resume and a wealth of knowledge of finance and economics. He also has a great understanding of the Topeka community, which will serve him well in this role,” said City Manager Stephen Wade. “This hire is another example of the wonderful partnership between the city and GTP. I’m grateful that Matt Pivarnik and leaders at GTP see this as a collective win for our organizations and Topeka as a whole.”

“I’m so proud of Freddy and all that he’s accomplished here at The Partnership,” said Matt Pivarnik, Greater Topeka Partnership CEO. “Serving as economic advisor to GO Topeka was actually Freddy’s first civilian job after leaving the military, and he’s been with us since our partnership model was just an idea waiting to be explored. Freddy has taken our economic analysis and data-driven development to a new level, and I know he’ll bring that same tenacity to the City of Topeka as CFO. I can’t think of a better next step for him in his career and am proud to still have him on Team Topeka!”

The CFO, formerly known as the Director of Finance and Administrative Services, leads a 24-member team responsible for overseeing the city’s budgeting, financial reporting, payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, debt management, grant management, and procurement.

“I am honored and grateful City Manager Wade selected me to serve the City of Topeka and all its community members in this capacity,” said Mawyin. “The Finance Department provides critical support to the entire city, and the staff is filled with talented individuals. I am excited to be joining such a talented and dedicated team.”

Mawyin’s first day is January 23.

 

The City of Topeka announced Tuesday that it hired Randi Stahl to serve as its next Chief Information Officer (CIO).

Stahl has served in a variety of leadership roles in the community including technology-based experience, risk management, project management, and more. She obtained both her MBA and bachelor’s degree from Baker University. Stahl serves on the Technology Advisory Committee for the Seaman School District, and is a volunteer for Shawnee County 4-H and the Shawnee County Fair Board.

“Randi is an experienced leader, having served in diverse roles throughout her career. I’m thrilled to bring Randi on board, so we at the city can take our IT services to the next level, including the implementation of a new city website, better integrating systems, and much more,” said City Manager Stephen Wade.

The CIO, formerly known as the Information Technology (IT) Director, leads a 21-member team responsible for all telecommunications, computing and business system functions for the city.

“I am humbled at the opportunity to become the CIO for the city I have called home for my entire life. As a lifelong Topekan, I look forward to leading the city government’s Information Technology Department as we modernize systems to support our great citizens and staff,” said Stahl.

Stahl’s first day is February 13.

 

The City of Topeka announced Friday that it hired Pamela Foster to serve as its next Director of Human Resources.

“I am thrilled to have Pamela join our team,” said Interim City Manager Richard U. Nienstedt. “She will bring a multitude of experience to the City of Topeka and will be a great asset to our staff.”

Foster holds an MBA and Doctor of Philosophy from Kansas State University. She brings 20 plus years of human resources experience to the city and holds certifications as a senior professional from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI).

Foster said, “I’m very excited to be chosen to serve as the city’s next Director of Human Resources and I look forward to furthering the City of Topeka’s development of a superior workforce and continuing to meet the city’s goals effectively and efficiently.”

Foster comes to the city after serving as Washburn University’s Director of Equal Opportunity, Title IX Coordinator and ADA Coordinator and teaching Organizational Behavior for the School of Business at Washburn University.

Foster’s first day will be April 1st.

The City of Topeka announced Wednesday that Steve Groen will serve as the city’s next Public Works Director.

 

Groen holds a BA in Business Administration-Financial Management from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN. He has 40 years’ experience in the industry, having started as a seasonal concrete worker in college before working a variety of utility and street construction positions. Groen was promoted to Hennepin County Construction Division Manager in 2021. He currently serves as the Highway Superintendent for Minnehaha County Highway Department in Sioux Falls, SD.

 

“I am thrilled to have Steve join us,” said City Manager Dr. Robert Perez. “He will bring a multitude of experience to the City of Topeka and will be a great asset to our team.”

 

Assistant City Manager Braxton Copley, who oversees infrastructure and development departments and is currently serving as interim public works director, said “I am pleased to add Steve to my management team. He has many years of public works experience over a broad range of service areas.”

 

“I look forward to serving as the City of Topeka’s next public works director,” Groen said. “The recruitment of engineering staff will be a priority, as well as continuing work on improvements to the city’s streets, traffic control devices, and facilities.”

 

Groen’s first day will be December 9th.

The City of Topeka announced Thursday that it hired Rhiannon Friedman to serve as the City’s new Director of Development and Economic Growth. Friedman will transition from her current role as the President of Downtown Topeka, Inc., to the City later this fall, at a date to be determined.

The position, which will be housed within the City’s Planning and Development Department, is the first of its kind at the City. The role aims to make Topeka more development efficient, with equity at the core. Friedman’s work will focus on affordable housing expansion, incentive packages available to builders and developers, as well as increased communication in these areas.

Friedman has served as the President of Downtown Topeka, Inc. for the last two years. Her resume includes key positions at GO Topeka, a PR organization in Texas, the State of Kansas, and more. Friedman has a bachelor’s in political science and government from K-State. Earlier this year, she was selected as a 2022 International Downtown Association Fellow, becoming one of only 30 professionals to participate in the national program.

“I’m thrilled that Rhiannon will join the Topeka team later this fall. Rhiannon is a proven leader, who’s developed professional relationships with many of Topeka’s builders and developers. I know she will make the City more efficient in all economic development areas. What I want people to know is that this is a cooperative strategy to collectively better our community, and that it’s not a duplication of services, but rather a compliment of services. I’m excited that the City is able to expand upon its cherished partnership with the GTP, and I’m grateful that Matt and I both see this as a collective victory,” said Stephen Wade, Topeka’s City Manager.

“I’m extremely grateful for my time with the Greater Topeka Partnership over the last few years. Thanks to leadership from Matt and so many others, the experience allowed me to develop many strong relationships within our community. In this new role with the city, I look forward to driving new development and redevelopment that builds on the momentum we’re seeing. The innovation with this role is exciting, because it allows the city and the GTP to partner together even more, as we work to collectively better the community,” said Friedman, Director of Development and Economic Growth.

“Rhiannon has been outstanding to Topeka in so many ways and we will reap the benefits from her contributions for decades. Losing someone like her might normally seem like a nightmare but knowing she will be on Team Topeka with our partner at the City makes it more like a dream. I applaud Steve Wade for his vision in this hire and look forward to working hand in hand with Rhiannon and Steve going forward as we continue our momentum,” said Matt Pivarnik, CEO of the Greater Topeka Partnership.

 

Those who have a current lien with the City of Topeka’s Housing Services Division may now have their lien released. This change is due to the City’s new Lien Release Program.

Over the past 40 years, the City has provided thousands of rehabilitation loans to citizens. After the City completed the rehabilitation, a lien was placed on the property, with a partial forgiveness after a period of time.

Under the new Lien Release Program, 100% of the loan with the City of Topeka’s Housing Services Division will be forgiven if the homeowner stayed in the home for a period of at least 5 years. To date, the City has done over 80 releases, which has helped put nearly $300,000 back into low-income households.

“By removing the lien on the property, we’re allowing people to be able to make improvements to their property by using their own funds. This was something we had been looking at for some time, and I’m excited to have it come to fruition,” said Corrie Wright, Division Director of Housing Services.

Only those who have a current lien with the City’s Housing Services Division will qualify for the Lien Release Program. The new policy will apply to future rehabilitation loans. Those with questions regarding the program, or to see if you qualify for a release of the lien, can contact the Housing Services Division at 785-368-3711.

 

The City of Topeka Public Safety Team is thrilled to unveil a new scholarship initiative aimed at providing enriching theatrical experiences for low-to-moderate income children in the community.

Through a partnership with the Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy (TCT), the Public Safety Scholarship offers an exciting opportunity for children of all ages from diverse socio-economic backgrounds to engage in the transformative world of theatre.

“I wanted to give kids in the Capital City a platform to explore their creative side through the performing arts,” said Chief Wheeles. “Summer camp experiences have the power to forge lasting memories, foster positive relationships and build self-confidence in children, all while ensuring their safety and enjoyment.”

The scholarship is awarded to cover a substantial part of the entire cost for one of TCT’s summer camps, based on federal income guidelines for free or reduced lunches, and will benefit seven eligible children. TCT offers a range of camp options including week-long, three-week-long, and technical camps tailored to children aged 4 through 17.

“The Topeka Civic Theatre has been a cornerstone of our community since it opened in 1936, enriching the lives of residents,” said Fire Chief Randy Phillips. “I have seen first-hand the impact summer camps have and I’m excited to establish this scholarship and empower kids in our community for years to come.”

Established in 1936, the Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy has been a vibrant hub for theatrical arts in the Topeka community. With a mission to share the joy of live theatre, TCT offers a diverse range of performances, educational programs and outreach initiatives.

For more information about the scholarship, eligibility guidelines, and available camps, visit https://topekacivictheatre.com/scholarships.

If you are interested in learning more about the scholarship, getting to know the staff, and visiting their facility, TCT will host an open house with the Public Safety Team on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at TCT, located at 3028 SW 8^th Ave.