A Nevada resident looks forward to taking on the learning and challenges of a position that is vital to the City’s operations.
Mike Sauer began work today (April 2) as the City’s new Building and Zoning Official.
A 1993 graduate of North Linn High School and 1997 graduate of Iowa State University where he earned a degree in animal science, Mike is originally from the town of Walker, Iowa.
“I think I’m going to like getting out and interacting with residents,” he said of his new position. “I kind of did that with my previous job, but I was always working in people’s houses, so this will be different from that.”
Mike has been employed since 2003 with One Hour Heating & Cooling in Ames as an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) technician. He’d worked in jobs more related to his degree from Iowa State until looking for a new challenge and answering a job ad in the newspaper. “They (One Hour Heating & Cooling) gave me a chance, and I learned a lot on the job,” he said.
Mike already holds some of the State of Iowa licenses needed for the position, and will now focus on the training and any other licenses he needs.
“I like the challenge of learning something new. The HVAC industry itself is always changing and has changed a lot just in the last five years. And it was always challenging, but I believe if you don’t want to learn something new, you might as well call it a day. These challenges keep your mind going.”
Having lived in Nevada for the past 21 years, Sauer is excited to get a new perspective of how everything works in the City. Once he knew the job was open, he began attending City Council meetings to become familiar with what was happening and learn what he could just in case he was chosen for the position.
“Honestly, I’m really excited to be able to work in town. This job means not having to be always on-call, and it will require less physicality on my body. And it really feels like a step up in my career,” he said.
When he’s not working, Mike’s pastimes include writing, bike riding, and watching sports, like football and basketball and the Cyclones and Chicago Bears. Mike’s family includes his wife, Sarah, who is a para-educator at Central Elementary School, and their son, Thomas, who will graduate this year from Nevada High School.
For people who will need to contact Mike and work with him on City projects, Mike said, “I’m open to questions, open to listening, open to communicating. I’m pretty easy going, but I’m all about following the rules and codes. I’m definitely a ‘by the book’ guy.”
–Written by Marlys Barker, City of Nevada