Colorado

Michelle Kivela is a municipal leader with more than three decades of experience in local government. As Town Manager of Parker, Colorado, a full-service community of about 75,000 residents, she oversees municipal operations and works with elected leadership to guide priorities and services. Her career began in Texas municipalities before moving to Colorado, where she held leadership roles in Greenwood Village and Lone Tree, gaining experience across public safety, parks and recreation and city management.

Building a Career across Municipal Operations

My career in local government began in Texas with the Town of Addison after completing a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Master of Public Administration at the University of North Texas. Early roles in Addison and Sugar Land introduced me to the fundamentals of municipal operations.

I later joined the City of Greenwood Village in Colorado as Assistant City Manager, supporting parks, recreation and police services. I temporarily led parks and recreation before serving as police support services manager, overseeing victim assistance, records, crime analysis and dispatch. These roles strengthened my ability to coordinate across departments and manage diverse operational functions.

I then served as Deputy City Manager in Lone Tree, where many functions were still being built or transitioned in-house. My responsibilities included establishing HR policies, developing compensation systems, advancing capital improvement projects and formalizing service frameworks.

At the Town of Parker, where I have served for nearly 14 years, including nine as Town Manager, my role expanded to overseeing operations in a community that places strong emphasis on parks, youth programs, arts, culture and public safety.

Leading with Perspective and Inclusive Leadership

My leadership approach is shaped by experiences that deepened my appreciation for the government’s role in people’s lives. Growing up overseas in a country where citizens, particularly women, had limited influence strengthened my commitment to systems that empower individuals. Attending boarding school abroad during high school further shaped that perspective. Living in unfamiliar environments has strengthened by independence and self-advocacy, while exposure to diverse cultures continues to influence and enrich my leadership style.

These experiences underpin my commitment to inclusive leadership. I actively seek input from department directors, peers and elected officials, recognizing that effective leadership is built on listening, diverse perspectives and openness.

At Parker, this philosophy translates into a deliberate focus on people and organizational culture. Open communication and strong internal relationships create the trust required for coordinated, consistent service delivery.

Balancing Service Delivery, Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability

Strong coordination across teams is essential to balancing service delivery, fiscal responsibility and regulatory compliance. Clear alignment and communication with department directors, who remain closely connected to community needs, help identify and address challenges early.

To reinforce accountability, we have implemented several systems that track priorities and progress. For instance, a Council Tracking Sheet provides visibility into initiatives and ensures alignment with adopted goals.

The Town also maintains a 10-year Capital Improvement and Long-Range Plan for general and special revenue funds, regularly reviewed with both Council and the public to support long-term planning as the community approaches build-out.

Community engagement remains a central tenet for the organization. Through citizen surveys, our online engagement platform (Let’s Talk Parker), Civic Academy, farmers market outreach and Council pop-up events, we consistently gather resident input on Town projects and initiatives. Communication channels such as social media, Talk of the Town and the Budget in Brief keep residents informed and strengthen transparency around Town priorities, as well.

Aligning Strategy across Council, Staff and Community

In 2026, we’ve returned to the fundamentals by focusing on the Town’s strategic priorities. Strategic alignment starts with understanding these goals and how daily work advances them. Community priorities are translated into operations, with goals embedded across the organization to keep them visible and actionable for staff. These priorities are also integrated into employee performance evaluations, supported by biannual check-ins that reinforce accountability. Department directors set annual goals aligned with these priorities, with progress tracked and shared through a quarterly public dashboard.

Council processes also help connect day-to-day decisions to our shared goals. Meeting and study session materials clearly show how each agenda item advances those priorities, while Council retreats create space for reflection, alignment, and thoughtful direction-setting. The Town’s budget and annual report are organized around strategic goals rather than departments, strengthening clarity around outcomes and impact. This makes it easier to see how resources support community priorities, reinforces accountability, and provides a transparent view of progress. By aligning financial planning and performance reporting in this way, we keep decisions focused on results and the value delivered to the community. Externally, initiatives such as HOA Summits, the Civic Academy—culminating in the Parker Proud Showcase—and youth education programs help residents better understand the Town’s priorities while creating meaningful opportunities for feedback. Together, these efforts strengthen transparency, build trust, and sustain alignment among Council, staff, and the community.

Navigating Fiscal Risk through Transparent Leadership

A coordinated leadership approach became critical during a recent fiscal challenge. Two years ago, the Town faced a significant financial threat when a citizen-led initiative supported by the mayor proposed eliminating sales tax on groceries. If approved, the measure would have reduced General Fund revenue by approximately 14 percent, or $11 million annually, and nearly 20 percent of total sales tax revenue.

Town leadership and Council opposed the initiative once its financial implications became clear. With Council’s support, I mobilized department directors and staff to conduct financial and operational analyses while launching a comprehensive communication strategy. Working with legal counsel, we developed a formal resolution outlining the potential impacts and paused a $32 million Town Hall expansion project to prioritize the issue.

Clear, fact-based communication enabled residents to understand what was at stake. Within two months, the initiative was withdrawn, preserving critical funding.

Integrating Technology to Improve Municipal Services

Technology continues to play an expanding role in municipal operations. In Parker, we introduced a comprehensive AI strategic plan during our recent Council retreat to improve cross-department coordination and efficiency.

Several initiatives are underway to improve efficiency through the use of AI. The finance team is piloting AI tools to support drafting and reviewing requests for proposals, while the Town is evaluating an enterprise resource planning system to improve systems integration. Additional efforts focus on modernizing planning, permitting and business licensing through AI-supported workflow tools.

We also deployed AI-enabled cameras in a public park following repeated vandalism incidents. These systems detect suspicious activity and alert the police department without using facial recognition or storing long-term data, improving response time while reducing staff workload.

Managing Rising Expectations in a Rapid Information Environment

The role of a town manager continues to evolve as community expectations rise and information spreads rapidly through digital platforms. News and opinions often circulate before local governments can provide verified updates, increasing pressure to respond quickly.

This environment requires consistent, timely and accurate communication to maintain public trust, which is essential to everything we do. It also shapes relationships with elected officials, as discussions on platforms such as Facebook or neighborhood forums can shape perception ahead of formal communication.

Traditional communication methods alone are no longer sufficient. Local governments must operate across multiple channels to share information, address misinformation and engage residents effectively. As operational tools improve, staff can shift focus from administrative tasks to communication, relationship-building and direct engagement. Thus, there will always be a need for public servants, even with the rise of AI.

Maintaining Balance in Public Service Leadership

Public service offers the opportunity to shape communities in meaningful ways, but it also carries significant emotional demands. Over time, I have learned that maintaining balance requires managing the weight of the role and stepping away from it at the end of each day.

As the environment becomes more complex and, at times polarized, perspective is critical. The work matters but recognizing the limits of our control helps sustain long-term effectiveness. Ending each day knowing I acted with integrity and supported my team to the best of my abilities remains essential.

Strong professional relationships play a central role in that balance. Trusted peers and mentors provide perspective through both rewarding and challenging moments. Mentorship, in turn, remains a priority—supporting the next generation while strengthening the profession as a whole.