The City of Rawlins is excited to announce longtime employee Ariel Phipps has been hired as the new Building Official, effective October 11th, 2021. Ariel was born and raised in Rawlins, and joined the municipality in 2014 as a part-time employee. She worked as an administrative secretary in the Department of Public Works while she earned various certifications, including as a permit technician and as a residential inspector.
Ariel takes over for Lou Lascano, who was hired in June of this year as the new Director of Community Development. The position now reports to the Rawlins Fire Chief, in order to provide overlapping coverage for building and fire code inspections. Chief Blain Schumacher selected Ariel from a competitive pool of applicants. “Ariel’s dedication to the community and her strong work ethic are wonderful assets to our department,” said Chief Schumacher.
Ariel is also a volunteer firefighter, and was named “Rookie of the Year” for 2020.
Ariel said, “I want the citizens to know that I can relate. I know there are things we need to work on, and I’m excited to be back in this position and work on those things with them,” adding, “I do want what is best for our community, because this is my home and this is where I’m raising my children.”
For more information, please contact Mira Miller, City of Rawlins Community Relations Coordinator, at 307-328-4500 ext. 1022.
