Branson Mayor, Larry Milton announced that the Branson Board of Aldermen has hired Cathy Stepp as the new City of Branson City Administrator at a news conference on Monday, October 3, 2022.

Branson is a fourth class Missouri City that operates under the Council/Administrator form of government. The City Administrator is hired by the Board of Aldermen to be the Chief Executive Officer of the City and is responsible for proper administration and management of the government business, officers and employees of the City.

Stepp most recently served as the Environmental Protection Agency’s Regional Administrator in the Great Lakes states for nearly three years during the Trump administration. She was responsible for over 1,000 employees, oversaw six states’ environmental protection programs and ran the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative program that implemented over $300 million in grants to restore and protect the water quality of the Great Lakes.  Prior to that, she served as a Cabinet Secretary over the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for nearly 7 years. Her first day will be today, October 3, 2022.

“I have lived in Branson for nine years now and have been deeply moved by its unique and rich culture. I am excited to continue to preserve our traditions while expanding growth opportunities, building relationships and keeping it all transparent to ensure our staff is accountable to the taxpayers,” said Stepp.

Branson City Clerk, Lisa Westfall, has been serving as Acting City Administrator since being named to the position on April 20, 2022. The City hired an outside search firm, BakerTilly, to do a national search for qualified candidates before hiring Stepp.