News Details

January 30, 2026

City of Oshkosh Selects its First Director of Public Works Operations

The City of Oshkosh has selected Ryan Lemke as the community’s first Director of Public Works Operations. In his new position, Lemke will provide strategic and operational leadership for Sanitation, Street and Water Utility Maintenance, Facilities and Grounds Maintenance, and Forestry. He begins this role on February 1st.

“Public Works Operations plays a critical role in the services residents rely on every day,” said City Manager Rebecca Grill. “Ryan’s experience, collaborative approach, and focus on execution make him the ideal leader to head the restructured Public Works Operations Department. We are excited to have him join our leadership team.”

This newly-established Department oversees coordination of upkeep, maintenance, and cleaning for City streets, City parks, City owned land and buildings while ensuring safe, reliable, and cost-effective service delivery. It is focusing on operations while the newly-established Department of Engineering, Infrastructure and Utilities, will focus on Capital Planning, Engineering and Water Utilities. Both of these new departments were previously part of the City of Oshkosh Department of Public Works.

“I’m honored to step into this role and continue to serve our community through collaboration and teamwork,” said Lemke. “By working together across departments, we can operate more efficiently while continuing to deliver the high-quality services our residents rely on every day.”

Lemke has 20 years of experience in the Public Works Operations field. He has been with the City of Oshkosh Department of Public Works for the last 10 years, initially serving as Assistant Water Distribution Manager for four years, Water Distribution Manager for four years, and most recently as Field Operations Manager.