Jersey Village city manager to be honored by University of Houston program

Jersey Village’s city manager is one of four individuals named 2024 Public Officials of the Year by a program at the University of Houston, according to an April 2 website post from the city.

In a nutshell

City Manager Austin Bleess was selected for the UH Master of Public Administration graduate program honor by a committee headed by the Hobby School Alumni Association, according to the program’s website. Nominations for the honor were accepted beginning in the fall.

“A resounding program theme and a consistent characteristic of honorees is a strong desire to solve issues through collaboration, reaching beyond departments and individual cities to other jurisdictions and sectors with government, nonprofits and corporate partners,” the UH Master of Public Administration website reads.

Bleess and the other honorees will be celebrated at a banquet on April 19 at UH’s Student Center South.

Quote of note

“Receiving the 2024 Public Official Of The Year award is a testament to Austin Bleess's visionary leadership and relentless dedication to our community,” Jersey Village Mayor Bobby Warren said via the post. “Austin's innovative strategies, particularly in grant acquisition and the integration of technology, have significantly advanced the quality of life in Jersey Village.”

Learn more

Bleess was chosen for the honor alongside:

• Greg Babst, emergency management coordinator for the Fort Bend County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
• James Huguenard, board of commissioners member for the Memorial Villages Police Department
• Olivera Jankovska, director of the Houston Mayor's Office of Education and Youth Engagement

For more information on the Public Officials Of The Year program, visit www.uh.edu/hobby/mpa/poy.