A new addition to Buda city staff will fill a void in its planning department.
Lauren Middleton-Pratt was named as Buda’s new assistant city manager of development services, according to a March 20 press release. Pratt fills the role vacated by Chance Sparks, who served as one of two Buda assistant city managers until January.
“I look forward to sharing my knowledge of corporate planning to further the growth of the city as well as utilize my experience from my days as a public servant to help in creating a place in which Buda residents both life-long and new are proud to call home.”
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Lauren Middleton-Pratt,
Buda assisant city manager
Middleton-Pratt, who began her planning career in the suburbs of Boston, Mass., has a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications/Public Relations & Business Administration from Xavier University.
Middleton-Pratt said she wanted to work for a city that felt “familiar” with municipalities she began her career with, which mirrored Buda in many cases.
Buda City Manager Kenneth Williams said Middleton-Pratt brings a skill set that “we believe will provide innovation, strategic thinking and enhanced communication that will take the organization to another level.”
“Lauren’s experience in urban/regional planning, her comportment and professionalism will enhance our competitiveness in the region as Buda enriches its assertion as one of the great cities in the country to live, work and play,” Williams said.
Prior to her hire at Buda, Middleton-Pratt worked as a financial analyst with Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). During her time at JLL, Middleton-Pratt was responsible for advising on all financial components of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative in San Antonio.
Middleton-Pratt started her career with the city of San Antonio as an event coordinator. She has also worked for the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the City of Newton, Mass., the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership, and was an intern in the planning department for the city of Boston.
In a statement, Middleton-Pratt said the work she’s done in both the public and private sector over the past decade has positioned her for the Buda ACM role.
“Buda is a rapidly growing city with exceptional opportunity and I’m super excited to jump into ‘the mix’. I look forward to sharing my knowledge of corporate planning to further the growth of the city as well as utilize my experience from my days as a public servant to help in creating a place in which Buda residents both life-long and new are proud to call home,” Middleton-Pratt said.
Middleton-Pratt will start work with the city of Buda on April 1.
