Springfield Standard

Martin Gugel has been appointed as the director of the City of Springfield's Building Development Services department, effective October 20. Gugel has served as the interim director since July and previously held the position of assistant director of Public Works for nine years.

During his tenure in Public Works, Gugel led the departments through reaccreditations by the American Public Works Association (APWA) in 2017 and 2021. This achievement is notable as fewer than 1% of public works departments in the United States have attained APWA accreditation.

“I’m genuinely excited to take on the role of director of Building Development Services. I look forward to using my experience and insights to support the department’s ongoing efforts to improve the City’s permitting process, enhance code enforcement and provide exceptional customer service to our residents,” Gugel stated.

Gugel, a professional engineer with over two decades of experience in state and local government, joined the City of Springfield in 2007 as a traffic engineer. He was promoted to assistant director of Public Works in 2015, overseeing both Project Management and Operations sections with significant budgets and personnel.

His educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Missouri University of Science & Technology. His career began at Missouri Department of Transportation, Southwest District, where he worked as a construction inspector before advancing to senior roles. Later, he joined Anderson Engineering and Global Link Land Surveying & Engineering, managing various commercial land development projects.

Gugel is affiliated with several professional organizations including APWA and Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), where he has held multiple leadership positions.

“Martin has proven management and administrative skills,” said City Manager Jason Gage. “He has done an excellent job as interim BDS director for us. We look forward to his long-term leadership in this permanent role.”