In tough times, a city needs a strong leader and that’s exactly what the city of Las Vegas has with its new City Manager Elizabeth N. Fretwell. Fretwell was recently appointed to the position by the City Council after Doug Selby resigned from the post. She formally took the reins of the new job on Jan. 21

Fretwell brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that she has gained after nearly two decades in local government. She has been with the city since 2000 and has served as an assistance city manager and deputy city manager. Prior to joining the city, she worked for Clark County and the city of Henderson.

For the past nine years, she has worked on some of the key initiatives in the city including the city’s Centennial Celebration in 2005, the Performance Plus program to enhance productivity, efforts to restore the historic downtown post office into the Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement and the city’s strategic planning efforts.

Fretwell is well known in the community, serving on a number of boards including those of KNPR, the Nevada public Employees’ Retirement System and the International City County Management Association Nominating Committee. She is also currently serving as the president of the local Government Managers Association of Nevada. She has been honored with many recognitions over the years including  being named Public Administrator of the Year in 2007 by the local chapter of the American Society for Public Administration and was named a Woman to Watch in 2009 by In Business Las Vegas.

Ms. Fretwell is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a bachelor of arts degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration.