Melissa has spent more than two decades with the City of Cedar Hill, rising from management analyst to city manager. Along the way, she has helped shape a culture that is more intentional, more accountable, and more focused on continuous improvement. Under her leadership, Cedar Hill has embraced a five-year strategic plan, annual work plans across every department, and a stronger culture of performance and accountability.

Here is just a little of what her nominator had to say:

"With over 20 years of service to Cedar Hill, Melissa has shaped major initiatives and strengthened city operations. She spearheaded the Tri-City Animal Shelter, the first regional-approach shelter in Texas, now a model replicated across the state for its cost-saving and lifesaving success. As Deputy City Manager, she also led the 2017 bond program, directing $45 million toward parks improvements, street and drainage upgrades, a new aquatics facility, and the development of the new library and signature park.

"What makes Melissa remarkable is that she accomplishes all of this while remaining active in her church and proudly raising two strong young women. She balances leadership with family life - attending soccer games, school events, and supporting her daughters’ growth into powerhouse women while somehow treating all 500 of her employees as family and on a first name basis! We need more Melissas in the world.“

In our conversation, Melissa discussed the books that have influenced her, the experiences that shaped her career, the leadership practices she values most, and the advice she would offer to others navigating a path in public service.

This is the final profile in our 2026 Inspirational Women in Local Government series.We hope you have enjoyed these portraits of women leaders across North America.

Q. Is there a book that you've read in the past that was particularly meaningful to you?

Every March, during Women's History Month, I lead a group of women in the organization through a book together, and this year's book is Let Them, by Mel Robbins.

Last year, the book was The Four Agreements - one of the books that changed my life. It's such a short book, but it has these really powerful life lessons: be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions, and always do your best. Those are simple ideas, but they're foundational. They've really shaped how I lead my life.

Another book that was incredibly transformational for me is Good to Great by Jim Collins. That book really helped establish who Melissa is today. It asks three questions:

1. What are you deeply passionate about?

2. What can you be the best in the world at?

3. And what is your resource engine: in public sector terms, that means how do you know you're successful?

I've used that framework over and over again, for myself, for departments, and for organizations. It's about finding your "hedgehog" - the thing you can do exceptionally well - and then building momentum from there.

Q. Tell us a little about your community and your role

I serve as the City Manager for Cedar Hill, Texas, a community I've had the privilege of working for since 2003. I actually started with the city as a management analyst in 2003, then became assistant to the city manager, assistant city manager, deputy city manager, and in August 2024, the council promoted me to city manager. I'm very honored to serve the city.

Cedar Hill is about 15 minutes south of Dallas, and it is a truly special place. We're a very diverse community - over 50 percent African American, about 25 percent Hispanic, and then the remaining Caucasian. We're also unique physically. We sit at the highest point in the metroplex, and all of the TV and radio towers that serve the Dallas-Fort Worth area are in Cedar Hill. We're adjacent to Cedar Hill State Park and Joe Pool Lake, and we have more than 7,000 acres of green space and tree canopy.

What I love most, though, is the heart of the city. Cedar Hill is kind, neighborly, caring, and loving. When there's a need in the community, people come together. I fell in love with the city, the people, and the mission, vision, and values here.

Q. What was the path that led you to public service?

My path into local government began when I was recruited out of the University of Kansas' city-manager-focused MPA program. Alan Sims, who was city manager of Cedar Hill at the time, saw my profile in an intern brochure, flew me down, and hired me as a management analyst. I was 24 years old. I never imagined I'd still be here all these years later, but I fell in love with the work and with the place.

Public service has always felt like the right path for me because it's about service in its purest form. The city manager role is not something you do for the money or the title. It's just not worth it if those are your motivations. 

You have to understand the assignment. This isn't about me. It's about my love for the city, my love for the people, and pushing things forward that are good for the community.

I've always been deeply passionate about making a difference. I have a very strong faith, and I just believe that's what we're here on this earth to do.

Q. What are you most proud of professionally?

I'm most proud of where we are right now as an organization.

When I became city manager, we implemented our first five-year strategic plan. That strategic plan then feeds into a one-year work plan. For the first time, every department was required to create an annual work plan and set out its work in advance. That was a significant shift for the city. It was hard for some teams, especially departments like streets, water, and sewer that are so used to responding to emergencies.

But we all agreed to do things differently. Now, we plan our work, implement our work, measure our performance, and then do it again. Plan, implement, measure. That's continuous growth.

All of those work plans are online, so the community can now measure our performance, too. We hold ourselves accountable; the community holds me accountable, and my team is going to hold me accountable to the values, mission, vision, and work plans of the city.

To me, adding that structure and helping get the council, staff, directors, employees, and community rowing in the same direction is a major professional accomplishment. We did it together, but it took some pushing, and I'm proud of that cultural change.

Q. What advice would you give to other women in local government looking to grow their careers?

I would say several things.

First, have a mentor who wants your success as much as you do. I've had that, and it has made all the difference. It doesn't matter if that mentor is a man or a woman. What matters is that they genuinely care about your growth and are willing to invest in you.

Second, know your destination. Where do you want to go? Then start being that before you have the title. Alan Sims told me years ago: think like a city manager, dress like a city manager, talk like a city manager, ask your city manager questions about why they did something. You can't fully understand the lens of the role until you're in it, but you can practice it. 

That way, when you do get there, it's not such a system shock.

I also believe success in public service is built on four things.

First, relationships internally: how well do you build and maintain trust with your colleagues?

Second, relationships externally: how well do you engage and build trust with the community?

Third, GSD: "Get Stuff Done". You cannot be a good public servant by only facilitating relationships. You have to be able to execute.

And fourth: give your boss the benefit of your lens. Your boss only has one perspective. Every leader needs people around them who are willing to say, "Hey, I think you might be stepping on a landmine here." That takes mutual trust.

So, my advice would be: find someone who cares deeply about your success, live into the role you want before you get it, and build your career on relationships, execution, ethics, and trust. 

Q. Where do you go when you want support, education, or mentorship?

One of the most important sources of support for me is other city managers who are women. 

A huge gift to me has been a women’s leadership circle started by Karen Daly and Pflugerville City Manager Sereniah Breland. It began right when I became city manager, and it has been invaluable. We meet every quarter, and it is absolutely worth the drive down to Austin. We talk about the real challenges of the job: the wins, the contracts, the councils, the legislation, and the things that are hard to talk about anywhere else. We share ideas, projects, and strategies with one another.

There's a therapeutic aspect to it, absolutely, but it's also deeply practical. These women understand the job in a way that nobody else really can unless they're in it themselves. That group is probably the most important support system I have in this season of my career.

I also rely heavily on ICMA, and I really believe in the direction the organization is going. I think Julia Novak, as the new executive director, is phenomenal.

Q: Who else has been an inspirational leader who has had an impact on you?

I've been blessed with many inspirational leaders in my life.

Greg Porter, our former city manager, is one of them. He is the consummate servant leader. You would see him at an event in a suit, sweeping the floor with a broom. That's just who he is. He loves the community, loves the city, still lives here, and still volunteers his time to help me. If I call him, he picks up the phone. We're working on a major economic development project right now, and he's spent hours with me reviewing a development agreement. He's amazing.

Alan Sims, who hired me, was also transformational in my life and career. He changed the future of Cedar Hill through major economic development work and through a focus on customer service and leadership that really moved the city forward in a positive way.

And then there are many women leaders I look to as well. Claire Powell, the City Manager in Lewisville, is one. I admire the work she's doing around rewilding medians and rights-of-way and helping the city reflect its natural environment. I look at leaders like that and think about what is possible. 

Beyond local government, I've always admired Maya Angelou. I named one of my daughters after her. I look to her for hope, peace, grounding, and a reminder of how I want to live my life. Her focus on love, on giving your life away, and on not letting societal pressures define you has been deeply meaningful to me. 

Q: What do you hope your legacy will be?

I would say my greatest legacy is my children. I want my daughters, who are 17 and 18 years old, to grow up to be strong women who believe in the power of loving others, loving themselves, and fully accepting who they are. I want them to know that learning who you are and how you move through the world is lifelong work. No matter the pressures of this job, I try not to lose sight of that. 

Professionally, I want to be known for service. Public service is not about the title or the corner office. It's about giving your life away in service to others. I would like to be known for having done that, and for having made things better as a result.

I am never satisfied with the status quo. Once I feel like I've arrived, then it's probably time for me to quit. I don't see the glass as half empty; I see it as half full of opportunity. We have an obligation, in stewarding public funds and public trust, to constantly make things better. I hope that spirit of continuous improvement, service, and love is part of what I leave behind.

Q: Are there other amazing women you know in public service who deserve a shout-out? Celebrate them here!

Karen Daly is at the top of my list. Claire Powell in Lewisville is another. Opal Mauldin-Jones in Lancaster is phenomenal - there is no greater advocate for that city, and she has stewarded it so well. Serena Breland in Pflugerville is amazing. Sarah Hensley in Denton is, as well. [Note: Opal Mauldin-Jones was selected as one of our four "Inspirational Women in Local Government" on this website in 2024.] 

I also want to shout out two assistant managers on my own team: Alison Ream and Chasidy Benson. Alison came up through administration and Chasidy through planning. I'm really proud to have them on my team and to be able to support their growth.

There are so many incredible women out there in public service that it’s hard to narrow it down, but they are out there leading, serving, innovating, and making their communities better every day. 

I celebrate them and this program for recognizing great leadership. Thank you for the recognition of all women leaders. 

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