The Cedar Rapids City Council will vote to appoint Vanessa R. Chavez as the next city attorney at a special city council meeting today at 2:30 p.m.
Ms. Chavez will serve as legal counsel to the City of Cedar Rapids and oversee the city attorney’s office. The city attorney provides full legal services to the mayor and city council acting as a body, as well as to those persons or entities empowered by law to act on the city’s behalf.
“Vanessa brings experience advising multiple cities on legal matters and serving as the city attorney for Green Bay, Wisconsin,” said Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart. “Those experiences will serve her, and this city, well in her new role here. I would also like to acknowledge and thank Liz Jacobi for serving as our interim city attorney. We appreciate Liz and the city attorney’s office team for their invaluable service to city council and the entire city organization.”
Since 2016, Ms. Chavez has served as city attorney for the City of Green Bay, Wisconsin. She was previously an attorney with Robles, Rael & Anaya, P.C. in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University, a master in information studies from the University of Texas at Austin, and juris doctor from the University of New Mexico.
“As our family talked to people in the community as we considered the move, we heard time and again about the resiliency and work ethic of the people of Cedar Rapids, and the way the community comes together,” said Ms. Chavez. “These are values our family shares, which made it easy for us to choose the City of Cedar Rapids as the place where we want to work and live. I am excited to join the Cedar Rapids team and continue the important work already being done to improve the quality of life for the community where we will raise our children.”
The Novak Consulting Group conducted a national search for this position on behalf of the Cedar Rapids City Council.
