The City of Ames, Iowa, has named a new fleet services director following the retirement of Paul Hinderaker, who worked at the city for 40 years.

Corey Mellies, currently public works operations manager, has been named director of fleet services. Mellies will begin his new position on Sept. 2.

In addition to maintaining, replacing, and outsourcing specific repair work on the city’s various vehicles and equipment, the director of fleet services oversees regular maintenance and upkeep at city facilities. In recent years, the director of fleet services has also led a group formed to try to reduce the city’s carbon footprint.

“We are very pleased to welcome Corey to this leadership position. His professional experience in Public Works, combined with his attention to customer service, data-driven decision making, and innovative approach to problem solving will be assets in this new role,” City Manager Steve Schainker said in a statement. “This was a very competitive national recruitment, and we had several outstanding candidates. Corey brings a different background and new perspective to this position, and we are excited to welcome him as the new director.”

Mellies is a graduate of Iowa State University with a degree in civil engineering. He is a licensed professional engineer and worked as the assistant city engineer at the City of Washington, Iowa, before joining the City of Ames in 2005.