EAST LANSING, Mich. — Following an open and competitive hiring process, East Lansing City Manager George Lahanas has announced the selection of Cathy DeShambo to serve as the new director of the East Lansing Department of Parks, Recreation & Arts (ELPRA).
DeShambo, who has served in the role of environmental services administrator with the East Lansing Department of Public Works since October 2012, will step into her new role as director of ELPRA on Monday, Aug. 23.
“Cathy has proven to be an exceptional leader over her almost nine years with the City of East Lansing,” said Lahanas. “She is a highly skilled and dedicated professional and we have the utmost confidence in her ability to serve in this leadership position with the East Lansing Department of Parks, Recreation & Arts.”
During her time as the City of East Lansing’s environmental service administrator, DeShambo has managed the 24 full-time and eight seasonal staff within DPW’s Sanitation and Recycling, Parks and Downtown Maintenance and Garage divisions, while also serving as a staff liaison to the East Lansing Commission on the Environment and overseeing the City’s environmental, urban forestry and deer management programs and initiatives.
Prior to her service with the City of East Lansing, DeShambo served for more than two decades in several administrative, research and teaching roles in the field of public education, including serving as the energy and project manager with the Lansing School District from 2002-2012. She holds a Master of Arts in Child Development from the MSU College of Human Ecology, a secondary teaching certificate from the University of Texas – Austin and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Western Michigan University.
“I’m honored to continue to serve the City of East Lansing in this new capacity, and I’m looking forward to broadening my experience and continuing to watch the community grow and thrive in this important leadership role,” said DeShambo.