John Garris supervises all Public Works and Utilities department functions, including the Independence Municipal Airport; streets; sanitation; water distribution; sewer collection; water and wastewater treatment. John also has significant involvement in both short and long term planning for the City’s infrastructure.
John and his family moved to Independence in 2009, and prior to joining the City, Garris was employed with Coffeyville Resources, where he had served as the Pipeline Engineering and Construction Manager as well as Vice President of Engineering and Construction for the Refining and Nitrogen divisions. In these positions, he led all aspects of major construction projects and managed multi-million dollar budgets.
John's other former employment includes serving as the Director of Engineering for Boardwalk Pipelines based in Houston, Texas; Manager of Projects for Koch Materials/Flint Hills Resources in Wichita and North Pole, Alaska; and Contract Manager for Martin K. Eby Construction Co. in Wichita.