Longtime public works employee and city engineer Mark Steuer has joined the City of Irvine as Public Works Director, and Kaitlyn Nguyen also has been hired as Economic Development Manager.

“Kaitlyn Nguyen and Mark Steuer are dynamic and innovative public executives who will bring new ideas and energy into an already excellent City organization,” said Irvine City Manager John Russo.

Steuer becomes part of the City’s executive management team which includes the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, and Deputy City Manager, the Director of Public Affairs and Communications, and the department directors of Community Development, Community Services, Public Safety, Transportation, City Clerk, and Administrative Services.

Steuer has been Riverside’s Deputy Public Works Director and City Engineer for the past two years, managing the engineering division and supporting the director. In his new position, which begins September 24, he will oversee the Irvine Public Works Department with more than 140 full-time employees and an annual budget of $66 million. The department develops, builds, and maintains the City’s much-admired public infrastructure and facilities, and works with the newly formed Transportation Department on traffic-related improvements.

Steuer was Director of Engineering Services/City Engineer in the City of Rancho Cucamonga from 2008-2016. For 17 years, he worked for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works in numerous capacities, including as Senior Civil Engineer. He has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and an MBA from the University of La Verne. He will report to Assistant City Manager Marianna Marysheva.

Nguyen, who begins work today, will oversee economic development efforts, working with internal colleagues and external partners to promote the City as a great place to conduct business. Among her duties to attract, retain, and expand opportunities, she will create and evaluate strategies to ensure business success with companies of all sizes and complexities.

Nguyen worked for 22 years for the City of Riverside. For the past year, she has been Senior Project Manager in the Community & Economic Development Department. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cal State San Bernardino, and a master’s degree in management, also from Cal State San Bernardino. She will report to City Manager Russo.