Lee Szymborski is a Senior Vice President with GovHR USA, working on both executive search and general management consulting assignments. He has more than 33 years of experience in local government administration.
Mr. Szymborski’s experience spans both Wisconsin and Illinois communities. Mr. Szymborski served more than 15 years as City Administrator in Mequon, Wisconsin. Mequon is a full service city with $30 million in combined budgets, and more than 170 employees serving 23,000 residents. In addition to his Wisconsin service in Mequon, he also worked for the City of Wauwatosa and Milwaukee County. In Illinois, he served for 12 years as Assistant Village Manager in Buffalo Grove.
Mr. Szymborski’s track record points to a results-oriented approach to municipal government management. That is demonstrated by his work including the purchase of a $14 M private water utility that has seen its customer base increase under city ownership (Mequon); reorganizing city departments and reducing workforce costs in an organizationally sensitive manner (Mequon); spearheading a 10- community oversight committee to secure the startup of commuter rail service (Metra) on the WI Central railway (Buffalo Grove); and re-purposing TIF funds to provide incentives that secured a $16 M mixed-use development in Mequon’s Town Center. He is additionally skilled in budgeting, personnel administration, community engagement efforts and strategic planning.
Mr. Szymborski’s experience in recruiting key staff extends back to his management roles in both Buffalo Grove and Mequon. In Buffalo Grove, he handled for the Village Manager all aspects of recruiting the management team. During his time in Mequon, Mr. Szymborski recruited all members of the City’s management team.
Since joining GovHR USA in 2014, Mr. Szymborski has managed more than 130 executive searches for communities throughout the Midwest, East Coast and South, as well as non-profit agencies including the International City/County Management Association.
In addition to executive recruitment, Mr. Szymborski has done management studies and strategic plans for several Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri communities, professional associations and councils of government. He has also been part of GovHR USA’s classification and compensation studies in several Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Massachusetts communities.
Professional Education, Training and Instruction
- Master of Science degree in Urban Affairs, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
- Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
Professional Development and Speaking Engagements
- Adjunct instructor at Upper Iowa University – Milwaukee Center
- Published articles in Public Management Magazine, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Memberships and Affiliations
- Mequon-Thiensville Sunrise Rotary Club
- Board of Directors for the Mequon Nature Preserve
- International City/County Management Association
- Wisconsin City/County Management Association
- Former President Illinois Association of Municipal Management Assistants
- Former President Mequon-Thiensville Sunrise Rotary Club
Awards
- Mequon – Thiensville Chamber of Commerce’s Distinguished Service Award
Local Government Background
- City Administrator, Mequon, WI 1999-2014
- Assistant Village Manager, Buffalo Grove, IL 1987-1999
- Milwaukee County and City of Wauwatosa, WI 1980-1986
