City names new director of Planning and Community Development

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The City of St. Joseph announced the appointment of Dale Reuter as the new Planning and Community Development Director.

Reuter has served as interim director since February 6 and will now assume the role on a full-time basis.

According to a news release, he will oversee several departments in the city, including planning, historic preservation, community services, building and construction, housing code compliance, dangerous buildings, and the Community Development Block Grant program.

Reuter graduated from Fox High School in 1987 and earned a Bachelor of Science in social science fro Northwest Missouri State University in 1991.

He previously served as a police officer and code enforcement officer in Maryville, Missouri from 1992 to 2002. Reuter then joined the Missouri State Highway Patrol in 2002, where he rose to the rank of master sergeant and lead Troop H Zone 5 until he retired in 2025.

Reuter joined the City of St. Joseph last year as its plans review coordinator.

"I look forward to serving the citizens of St. Joseph, Missouri. St. Joseph is a city with a great past and historical significance," Reuter stated in a news release. "I will work hard every day to honor St. Joseph and its citizens."

City Manager Mike Schumacher said Reuters experience will help him guide St. Joseph's planning and development initiatives.

Now that the Planning and Community Development director position has been filled, the City is searching for a new Public Works director.

Current director, Abe Forney, will leave his position on April 10 to pursue a career in the private sector, according to the news release. Forney has been with the City since 2013, serving as Public Works director since 2022.