Geneva City Administrator Stephanie Dawkins announces retirement

After 17 years with the city of Geneva — the last nine as city administrator — Stephanie Dawkins has announced she will retire Aug. 15.

“It has been a deeply fulfilling experience to contribute to our shared mission of creating a place where people are excited to live, work and play,” Dawkins said in a press release. “Over the years, I have witnessed and been a part of significant challenges and achievements within the city.”

The city administrator supervises all department heads, manages the day-to-day operations of city government and serves as budget officer.

“Dawkins demonstrated unwavering professionalism, provided a steady hand to help the city achieve financial strength and business growth, fidelity to processes, elevated relationships with our governing partners, and helped steer Geneva into a new era of potential and promise,” Mayor Kevin Burns said in the release.

The team searching for Dawkins’ successor will include the city council and department directors, with a focus on a smooth transition for and toward advancing the 2030 Strategic Plan, Burns said.

“We have every intention of selecting a successor and announcing before her retirement,” Burns said.

Dawkins was named Geneva’s city administrator in 2016 after serving as assistant city administrator/director of administrative services for eight years.

Under Dawkins’s leadership, the city’s bond rating was upgraded to Aa1 and the equalized assessed valuation increased by nearly 52%, according to the release.

The city’s general fund reserves increased from covering less than one month of operations to more than six months, earning the city multiple financial accolades from the Government Finance Officers Association.

Before joining Geneva, Dawkins served in local government positions in Shawnee County, Kansas; Brighton, Colorado; Broward County, Florida; and Merriam, Kansas.

She holds a Juris Doctor degree from Washburn University School of Law and a Master of Arts degree in industrial/organizational psychology from Appalachian State University. She was admitted to the Kansas Bar in 1997.