Coppell’s new Director of Public Works knew local government was his calling

Coppell Gazette
By Arianna Morrison | Star Local Media
March 15, 2023

The city of Coppell recently announced Mike Garza was selected to serve as the city’s new director of public works.

Garza started working for the city of Coppell as a graduate engineer in 2007, becoming a civil engineer in 2012, then as the assistant director of public works in 2014. He replaces Kent Collins as the director of public works as Collins was recently selected as the city’s deputy city manager.

“I’m excited for this new role and the opportunity to continue leading the public works department,” Garza said in a press release. “I look forward to developing our team to help provide the best service to our residents and taking on any challenges ahead.”

Before working in Coppell, Garza previously worked for the Texas Department of Transportation. He was born and raised in Corpus Christi and moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex to attend the University of Texas at Arlington where he received his bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 2006 and his masters in civil engineering in 2017. Garza is also a licensed professional engineer.

“My father worked in local government and he always said working for a municipality was very rewarding to be able to serve people,” Garza said. “When I became a civil engineer, I knew I wanted to work in local government to serve people.”

When he worked as the assistant director of public works, Garza was involved with several major projects. This includes the water system redundancy project and managing the reconstruction of N. and S. Freeport Pkwy and Belt Line Road. He also implemented a new asset management work system, which allows infrastructure in Coppell to be repaired more effectively.

“Mike will do an outstanding job leading the public works team and will be an integral partner with the entire organization,” said Coppell City Manager Mike Land in a press release. “He brings a wealth of knowledge regarding Coppell’s infrastructure and will make decisions for the future based on the best interests of our residents and businesses.”

Since being selected for his new role, Garza said his favorite part has been the support, excitement, and celebration from his team and loves being able to work with a great group of people.

“I am excited to continue to lead and develop our team to be able to provide the excellent customer service that our residents expect,” he said.

Garza lives in Lewisville with his wife and two kids who are in elementary school. When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, or playing golf.