Enrico Villegas brings a strong foundation in public administration shaped by hands-on municipal experience, academic preparation, and a people-focused leadership style. His background spans technical roles in engineering support, project inspection, and program coordination, allowing him to understand how community services operate at the ground level.
Committed to thoughtful civic progress, Villegas emphasizes collaboration, economic momentum, and continuous improvement to help communities grow with resilience, transparency, and long-term strategic vision.
Journey into City Management
Leadership pathways are often shaped by curiosity, and mine into city management emerged the same way. Though I never envisioned a career in city management, growing exposure to municipal work sparked a deeper interest. That engagement ultimately led me to serve as Assistant City Manager and Public Works Director in Warrensburg, Missouri.
Leaders must understand the constraints of their environment and plan for them before they become barriers.
As my career progressed, I pursued a master’s degree in public administration to gain broader strategic insight and prepare for expanded leadership roles. Today, I serve as City Manager for Hutchinson, Kansas, overseeing a municipal budget of approximately 110 million dollars and leading more than 400 employees across a full spectrum of services, from public safety to utilities.
My core responsibility here revolves around building a strong organizational and community foundation. I work closely with our city council, which reflects the voices of residents, to shape policy decisions that move Hutchinson forward. We strive to balance employee responsibilities with resident expectations to ensure progress remains grounded in community priorities rather than siloed decision-making.
Preparing for Tomorrow
Managing a modern city demands addressing complex challenges, with workforce sustainability emerging as the most urgent priority. Like many municipalities, we have employees nearing retirement age, which presents talent gaps across critical services. But for the first time in nearly two decades, Hutchinson is fully staffed across major departments, including public safety and public works. While competitive compensation can attract candidates, it is the culture that retains them. We have invested in fostering an organizational environment where employees feel respected, accountable, and empowered to contribute.
With rising costs adding further pressure, delivering the same level of service today is far more expensive than it was just a few years ago. To address increased expenses, we are considering tax adjustments only where necessary. At the same time, we are exploring operational efficiencies, pausing projects we can no longer justify financially, and clearly distinguishing between needs and wants. These efforts reflect a disciplined approach to stewardship and ensure we continue delivering services responsibly and sustainably.
Projects Creating Impact
Among the initiatives I am most proud of is our renewed focus on removing blight. Deteriorating properties depress surrounding home values, discourage investment, and damage community perception. By addressing both residential and commercial blight more aggressively, we are signaling that growth, pride, and reinvestment matter in Hutchinson. Improving the built environment directly improves quality of life, and doing so positions our city as a place where people want to live and build.
As future-proofing Hutchinson is equally critical, we are tracking a one and a half billion dollar investment in a new power station that will support grid stability across our region. Alongside that, we are securing additional water rights to ensure long-term water security for future generations. These decisions are not short-term wins. They are investments in resilience.
We are also embracing AI at the staff level and planning for machine learning integration within our infrastructure decision-making processes. The goal is to anticipate needs rather than react to them. Whether addressing climate resilience, urban growth, or evolving workflows, proactive readiness is a strategic necessity.
Guidance for Future Leaders
For those aspiring to lead transformational efforts in government, I always advise them to think at least ten years ahead. Leaders must understand the constraints of their environment and plan for them before they become barriers. By knowing their limits, leaders can design strategies that are realistic, resilient, and built to succeed. The same mindset shapes the decisions we make in Hutchinson, and I believe it will pay significant dividends over time.
Cities thrive when they invest in their foundations, embrace innovation, and cultivate a culture that values both progress and people. Hutchinson is doing exactly that, and I look forward to the possibilities ahead. Our greatest strength, our people, propels this momentum, affirming that leadership may guide the way, but it is shared commitment that builds the future where people can thrive.
