Milwaukee Water Works Superintendent Karen Dettmer appointed interim DPW commissioner

Milwaukee Water Works Superintendent Karen Dettmer has been appointed interim commissioner of the city's Department of Public Works, Mayor Tom Barrett's office said Monday.

The appointment makes Dettmer the first woman to hold the acting or permanent commissioner position at the department.

DPW Commissioner Jeff Polenske announced last month that he would be leaving the city after three decades with the department. He retired from the city effective Dec. 17 for a position as vice president and office executive for Wisconsin at Michael Baker International, an engineering and consulting firm.

Barrett's office said Dettmer's appointment was made in consultation with Common Council President Cavalier Johnson, who will become acting mayor when Barrett leaves for a post as ambassador to Luxembourg. Barrett's departure is expected by Dec. 28.

Dettmer will continue to manage Milwaukee Water Works as she serves in the interim position at the Department of Public Works, according to the Mayor's Office.

In a statement Monday, Dettmer said she was honored to have been entrusted with the position and praised Polenske's leadership of the department, including during the pandemic.

She called serving as Milwaukee Water Works superintendent "extremely rewarding."

"I’m excited by the opportunity to continue overseeing the division and to further the work we started in building a more equitable, inclusive, and diverse workforce," she said.

Dettmer has moved up in city employment over nearly 15 years, working for DPW, the Department of City Development and Milwaukee Water Works, according to the statement from Barrett's office. She worked as an engineering consultant in the private sector before joining the city.

She has held the position of Milwaukee Water Works superintendent since February 2019. The role oversees operations of the public utility.

Contact Alison Dirr at 414-224-2383 or adirr@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter @AlisonDirr.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Karen Dettmer of Milwaukee Water Works named interim DPW commissioner