Tomball Public Works Director named National Public Works Leadership Fellow

Tomball Public Works Director David B. Kauffman was recently named a national Public Works Leadership Fellow by the American Public Works Association.

Under this title, Kauffman will be mentoring public works professionals who are enrolled in the American Public Works Association Donald C. Stone Center for Leadership Excellence.

Kauffman was given this honor along with approximately 220 other public works professionals across the country. The goal of selecting this group of fellows is to bestow the wisdom of senior leaders of public works onto the next generation, according to an association press release.

"The resulting knowledge transfer will help to position the next generation to better address the issues of the 21 Century," said executive director of the American Public Works Association, Peter B. King, in the press release. "The APWA PWLFs have pledged to assist those who aspire to become public works directors, executives, managers and supervisors through a focused mentoring program."

Kauffman has 25 years of experience in the professional management of public infrastructure, including maintenance, repair and improvement operations. He has directed complex projects and continues to develop comprehensive maintenance programs for aged and undersized utilities, asphalt and concrete street inventory, drainage and detention systems and street signage replacement. Kauffman has also implemented a fleet maintenance software program and an emergency power system preventative maintenance program for public facilities.

Before his position as Public Works director, Kauffman worked as the director of Public Works and Utilities for the city of Hondo, the Public Works superintendent of Friendswood, the senior project manager of Friendswood and the assistant/interim director of Public Works for Bay City.

"Having worked in four cities in the central and south Texas regions, I have obtained a vast knowledge of the practices and programs that work best," Kauffman said in the release. "I hope that through my mentoring, and the mentoring efforts of the other Public Works Leadership Fellows and future leaders in the program, we can all learn and develop new concepts together while continuing to improve our nations infrastructure as a whole, and continue to enhance these critical services we are all providing for this and future generations."

For more information about the Donald C. Stone Centers Public Works Leadership Fellow Program, contact director of professional development Mabel Tinjac at mtinjaca@apwa.net.

For more information about the American Public Works Association, visit www.apwa.net.