- Kelly Preston will begin serving as Union’s public works director on Aug. 1 after a career in public safety, transportation and airport safety training.
- Preston succeeds Paul Kremer, who officially became Union’s city administrator after serving as public works director since 2023.
- Kremer will oversee the city’s day-to-day operations, including budgeting, public works projects, policy implementation and resident services.
The City of Union has officially hired a new city administrator and public works director on July 6, following a recent reshuffling of its most important staff positions.
Boone County native Kelly Preston was selected to lead the city’s public works department. Much of Preston’s prior professional experience revolved around public and employee safety.
Professionally, Preston spent over 20 years in an emergency communications role with Boone County Public Safety Communications Center. Later on, she served as a safety specialist with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Most recently, Preston worked as a safety training specialist at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
“I’m excited to join the City of Union and look forward to serving the community,” Preston told LINK nky in an email statement. “As a lifelong Boone County resident, it’s especially meaningful to have the opportunity to give back close to home.”
Preston said she will begin serving in the role on Aug. 1. The public works director is responsible for managing the city’s infrastructure and services, including street maintenance and repair, assistance with bid preparation, oversight of public works projects and landscape maintenance.
Preston fills the vacancy created by the hiring of former Public Works Director Paul Kremer as the new city administrator. The city administrator role became open after Amy Safran, who served in the role for five years, announced her departure in April. In the following weeks, Union conducted a job search before ultimately announcing Kremer as the new city administrator in May.
Kremer, a 30-year U.S. Army veteran, joined the city as its public works director in 2023. Throughout his military service, Kremer worked as both a combat and construction engineer. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan, in addition to a stint at the Pentagon.
When he was announced as the new city administrator at a commission meeting on May 18, Kremer said he would make the “city look a little better every single day,” calling it “a cool thing, a little bit of giving back to your community.”
During his time as public works director, Kremer was heavily involved with several high-profile projects, notably the Union Town Square. Located on a 22-acre plot, the project includes the development of a new city building and a 16-acre park complex featuring an amphitheater.
In his new role, Kremer will manage Union’s day-to-day operations, serving as the bridge between elected officials, staff and residents. The city administrator is responsible for executing the annual budget, directing public works projects, drafting policies and handling citizen inquiries.
