I ran into Steve Groen the other day. He looked genuinely happy — the kind of settled, purposeful look a man gets when he’s landed in the right place. We talked briefly, and it struck me how Topeka’s loss became his (and the broader region’s) gain.
Steve Groen brought more than 40 years of hands-on public works experience when the City of Topeka hired him as Public Works Director in late 2024. He came from Minnehaha County, South Dakota, where he served as Highway Superintendent after rising through the ranks in Hennepin County, Minnesota — including work on iconic infrastructure like the Father Hennepin suspension bridge. He understood streets, construction management, budgeting, capital improvement programs, and how to support frontline crews while getting projects out the door on time.
When he arrived in Topeka, he hit the ground running. His early priorities were clear and practical: support staff with the resources they need, improve road surfaces, and move projects to bid earlier so construction seasons aren’t wasted. In a city that constantly wrestles with aging infrastructure, sidewalk issues, drainage challenges, and the need for shovel-ready development sites, that kind of steady, experienced leadership should have been a major asset.
Topeka needs people who know how to deliver results on the ground — not just talk about them. Someone with Steve’s background could have been a bridge between city operations and the development community. He understood both the public-sector realities and the practical needs of getting projects built. For someone like me, who spends a lot of time on site feasibility, drainage studies, sidewalk coordination, erosion control, and working through city processes on projects like Eveningside, having a knowledgeable, responsive Public Works Director in place makes a real difference.
Instead, less than a year later — right around November 2025 — he was gone. The city called it a personnel matter and offered no further explanation. Interim leadership stepped in. Another chapter of institutional knowledge walked out the door.
Here’s the part that bothers me most: Topeka didn’t just lose a director. It lost continuity, relationships, and momentum at a time when we need every bit of experienced leadership we can get. Short tenures like this send a signal to other talented professionals: “Don’t get too comfortable.” It wastes the time and money spent recruiting and onboarding. And it reinforces the very perception problems that make it harder to attract and keep good people in the first place.
The good news? Steve landed on his feet — actually, he landed in a stronger position. He’s now Associate Director and Central Region Leader at Braun Intertec, the employee-owned geotechnical, environmental, and materials testing firm with a Lenexa office right in our backyard. Braun Intertec does exactly the kind of work that supports smart development: soil and foundation analysis, environmental compliance, construction materials testing, and risk reduction on complex sites. Steve is now helping lead that work across the Central U.S. — putting his decades of public-sector insight to work for clients who actually value and reward competence.
I’m genuinely happy for him. Topeka essentially helped him move into a better chapter — one where his experience is appreciated and he’s not fighting an environment that didn’t seem to value what he brought. That’s not a failure on his part. That’s Topeka getting shortchanged.
We talk a lot around here about economic development, infrastructure readiness, and putting Shawnee County first. None of that happens without solid public works leadership and a city government that knows how to keep talent once it finds it. Steve Groen was exactly the kind of steady, experienced professional this community could have used for the long haul.
Instead, he’s thriving elsewhere — and we’re left wondering what might have been if Topeka had been a place that appreciated and retained people like him.
To Steve: Thank you for your service here, however brief. You brought real expertise and a professional approach. I’m glad you’re in a better spot now. The Central Region (and developers who work with Braun) are lucky to have you. Topeka missed out.
