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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01.23.26 Newsletter : TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Rebecca Grill, City Manager DATE: January 23, 2026 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. CITY HIRES ITS FIRST COMMUNICATIONS & ENGAGEMENT MANAGER: Drew Bailey will begin his role on Monday, January 26, as the City of Oshkosh’s new Communications & Engagement Manager. In this role, Bailey will lead the City’s newly established communications division within the City Manager’s Office, serve as the City’s Public Information Officer, guide citywide communication efforts, and support the implementation of Oshkosh’s Community Engagement Plan. Bailey will collaborate closely with communications professionals across City departments to build a coordinated and strategic approach to communications—one that supports individual departmental needs while strengthening the City’s overall voice and connection with the community. His work will include leveraging the City’s existing communication, marketing, digital, and social media tools—while building new approaches, including ongoing website and brand enhancements—to proactively increase awareness, encourage participation, and create an engaging and consistent experience for residents. “I’m excited about the added strategic capacity this role brings as we welcome Drew to the team,” said Oshkosh City Manager Rebecca Grill. “Drew joins us as we continue to work toward a shared vision of a thriving and sustainable community that offers abundant opportunities for both work and life.” Bailey has experience leading municipal marketing and communications efforts, including serving as Director of Marketing & Communications for the City of Morgantown, West Virginia. There, he led a comprehensive citywide rebrand—developing a new logo, vision, values, and mission—and oversaw media relations, crisis communications, community engagement initiatives, and internal communications. Throughout his career, Bailey has helped organizations meaningfully increase digital engagement and strengthen their public presence. He holds a Master's Degree in Communication from Marquette University and a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Utah State University. "It’s an honor to join the City of Oshkosh,” Bailey said. “I’m excited to work with City leaders, staff, and residents to build strong connections, elevate the City’s voice, and support meaningful community engagement. Oshkosh has a strong sense of pride and momentum, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help share its story and support the important work happening across the city." 2. NEW POLLING PLACES FOR SOME OSHKOSH VOTERS: The City has four elections this year, with the first coming up on Tuesday, February 17th. The City is consolidating some of the election day polling places in order to improve the voter experience, utilize locations with adequate parking and accessibility, and reduce costs for each election. While most voters’ polling places will remain the same, voters who previously used the American Legion, St. John’s Church, Father Carr’s Place 2B, and First English Lutheran Church will have a new polling place for 2026. See below for these changes, or check out the full list of current polling places. Previous Polling Place Current Polling Place American Legion 1332 Spruce Street UW-Oshkosh Culver Welcome Center 625 Pearl Avenue St. John’s Church 808 N Main Street UW-Oshkosh Culver Welcome Center 625 Pearl Avenue Father Carr’s Place 2B 1062 N Koeller Street UW-Oshkosh Culver Welcome Center 625 Pearl Avenue First English Lutheran Church 1013 Minnesota Street Wittman Field Regional Airport 525 W 20th Avenue Additionally, the location for early in-person absentee voting has been moved to the UW-Oshkosh Culver Welcome Center located at 625 Pearl Avenue. This site provides hundreds of parking spaces, plenty of room for voter lines to be kept inside the building, handicap accessibility, and an overall greater voter experience. For more information about what’s on your ballot and to find your current polling place, visit myvote.wi.gov. 3. DANCING AT THE LIBRARY: As part of the Women's Fund of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation's SMART Social Project, the Oshkosh Public Library is hosting line dancing in our beautiful, historic Dome. In February, the library comes alive to support real life social connection, fun, and well-being in creative ways. This high energy event invites the community to kick up their heels, laugh with friends and experience the library in a whole new way. It's a great opportunity for a human-interest story that combines books and a little boot-scootin' boogie to beat the winter blues! The Intro to Line Dancing event will take place on Tuesday, February 3rd at 6pm and is for all ages. For a full calendar of events, or to register for an event, please visit oshkoshlibrary.org or call 920-236-5203. 4. GET INVOLVED IN A BOARD OR COMMISSION: If you are interested in serving your community, consider becoming a member of one of the City’s citizen advisory boards, commissions, or committees. There are current openings on the following boards and commissions: Board of Review Board of Zoning Appeals Landmarks Commission Plan Commission To learn more about the boards and commissions, or to complete an application to serve, visit our boards and commissions webpage. If you have questions about current openings, the process of appointment, or need more information about a particular board, please contact the City Manager’s Executive Assistant, Kami Zuercher, by email (kzuercher@oshkoshwi.gov) or call (920) 236-5002.