From permits to code enforcement to planning and zoning, Southlake Planning and Development Services does it all.

With so many service offerings, only one can ask, how do they do it?

Meet Madeline Oujesky, she is the glue that holds everything together.

For the last four years, Oujesky has served as the assistant to Senior Director of Planning and Development Services Ken Baker.

“Overall, my main job is to keep the director focused on the tasks he needs to, in order to continue leading and managing our department into the future,” Oujesky said. “Since my position feels more like a “jack of all trades” type, I normally have a hand in numerous ongoing projects in our department.”

Most of the projects that Oujesky works on are management driven and range from formulating the department’s budget and creating the annual development report, to assisting Baker in designing and compiling information for the departments upcoming workplan and business plan.

She also serves as a key communicator for the department where she writes articles for My Southlake News and updates the Planning and Development Services webpages.

Her hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed. Oujesky was part of the Property Notification Process Team that received the Southlake Values Award for delivering solutions to help customers resolve issues.

As a member of the property owner notification team, she learned that traditional processes can be modified and updated to benefit both the user and end-client.

“I'm honored to work on a team that values innovation and collaboration,” Oujesky said. “Our mission was to innovate a simpler, more effective and citizen-friendly process when creating and delivering public hearing notices to residents and business owners.”

Oujesky explained how the team approached the project.

“Our team took a "divide and conquer" mentality when completing tasks. My specific task being the creation of the Active Planning Cases web page and interactive map feature.”

Not only does Oujesky get to help make the lives better for our customers, she also has a team to help her.

“What I enjoy most about my job is the people I work alongside,” Oujesky said. “Not only do these individuals show dedication, passion and care for the Southlake community, they also support my growth and development as a public servant so that I can continue achieving my career goals.”