Ames Begins Search for New City Attorney

In the past year the city has found itself searching for a new fire chief, an assistant city manager and a building official.

Soon city staff will be searching for a new city attorney.

Ames City Attorney Doug Marek announced this week that he would be leaving for a new job in Colorado.

He will become a city attorney at Greeley, Colo.

The rest of the city press release follows below:

Marek will retire from the City of Ames after more than 30 years of public service working for state and local government in Iowa. He will begin his new position in late December or early January 2013.

 “Ames is a wonderful place, and it is difficult to leave after 33 years,” Marek said. “However, the position with the City of Greeley presents an exciting opportunity to return to Colorado and to take on new challenges in a city government with a bigger and more specialized legal department.”

Greeley has a population of 93,000 and is the home of the University of Northern Colorado.

A native of northern Colorado, Marek has served as the Ames City Attorney since 2006. Prior to joining the City, he worked in the Iowa Attorney General’s Office for more than 15 years and spent time in the Story County Attorney’s Office. Marek earned both his bachelor’s degree in anthropology and a master’s degree in teaching from Colorado College in Colorado Springs. He received his law degree from the Drake University Law School in Des Moines.

“Throughout his tenure with the City of Ames, Doug has provided tremendous guidance through increasingly complex legal issues,” said Mayor Ann Campbell. “We have relied on his insight, direction, and vast knowledge of the law to make the best decisions on behalf of the community. We will miss his perspective, thoughtfulness, and genuine good nature.”

The Ames City Attorney is appointed by and reports to the Ames City Council. The City Attorney serves as legal counsel to the council, all City departments, and Mary Greeley Medical Center. The City of Ames will immediately begin a national search for a new attorney.