CENTRALIA — The City of Centralia announced the hiring Monday of its first Assistant City Manager who will also serve as Economic Development Director.

Katie Plutz was selected from a field of applicants that included applicants from Illinois, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.

Plutz comes to Centralia with a strong economic development background having worked the last two years as an Economic Development Associate for Invest Aurora.

Invest Aurora promotes economic development, through business attraction, retention, and expansion in the City of Aurora.

She has her Masters in Public Administration with a concentration in Local Government Management from Northern Illinois University.
In 2020, she was chosen as American Association of Public Administration (ASPA) Scholar and the Daniel Witt Scholar.

She additionally is a graduate of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Basic Economic Development Course and has served previously in the Illinois National Guard and as a real estate intern.

Plutz will replace Assistant City Manager Kala Lambert and Economic Development Director Rose Aldag-McVey.