West Plains, MO – Thursday (7/1), the West Plains City Council met in special session and approved the hiring of Earlene Rich as the city’s finance director.
Rich is a Certified Public Accountant and comes to West Plains with 12 years of city government experience. She served as Deputy Finance Director for the City of Littleton, Colorado. In addition to serving the City of Littleton, Rich has worked for the Missouri Department of Higher Education, Missouri State Auditor’s Office, and the Joplin School District
“I can speak for the leadership team when I say we were highly impressed with Earlene’s experience, education, and approach to serving the community,” said West Plains City Administrator Sam Anselm. “I’d like to thank Mayor Topliff and the City Council for their support in making this decision. We have a team of elected officials and employees who care deeply about this community, and the addition of Earlene to our team will greatly enhance our ability to provide good service to our citizens.”
“I am incredibly blessed to join the City of West Plains team as the finance director,” said Rich. “I cannot wait to work alongside these local government heroes and to serve the citizens of West Plains. I will assist the leadership and citizens in making sense of our financial data to guide current decision-making and long-term priorities.”
Rich received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration from Hannibal-LaGrange University in Hannibal in 2004.
Rich, a native of Waynesville, is looking forward to living and working in West Plains.
“I am especially looking forward to plugging in to the local community and enjoying all that West Plains has to offer – including watching the Zizzers win a game or two and a few relaxing mornings floating down the river.,” said Rich.
