McPHERSON — Barely seven days in, and Daniela Rivas already has a solid handle on things in her role with the City of McPherson.
Given her resume, that’s probably to be expected.
Rivas, the city’s new Assistant City Administrator and Finance Director, already has a wealth of experience to her name. That’s why she fit the mold for the new position, which combines duties of previously separate roles.
“We were very fortunate to land a candidate of her experience and caliber,” McPherson City Administrator Nick Gregory said. “Through her first week, she already has shown to be an impressive, knowledgeable and up-and-coming leader for the McPherson Community.”
Rivas officially began March 14, leaving her position as city administrator for the City of Columbus, where she served since 2018.
“I am both honored and excited to be here in McPherson,” said Rivas, a Wichita native and Wichita State University alum. “I am forever grateful for the exceptional team in Columbus who helped me get here.”
Prior to her role in Columbus, Rivas served as finance director for the City of Park City for three years, and was the city treasurer and finance officer for the City of Winfield.
“We are extremely excited to have Daniela join our McPherson team,” Gregory said. “Her diverse experiences in government finance, administration and HR throughout her career and her positive can-do attitude were the reasons she made so much sense for this team.”
In her role as finance director, Rivas fills a void left open since December. She also is the first to hold the assistant city administrator office since late 2020.
Rivas earned her Masters of Public Administration from the Hugo Wall School of Public Affairs at WSU with studies in public finance and city/county management. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the W. Frank Barton School of Business at WSU. She earned recognition as a Certified Public Manager from the University of Kansas in 2017, and is working through the Emerging Leaders Development Program to become credentialed through the International City Manager Association.
Her start comes at a critical time as the 2023 budget process is beginning.
“I look forward to supporting Nick and the entire McPherson team, Mayor (Tom) Brown and the city commission, and our community,” she said.