City Manager Joseph R. Pace
City Manager, Joseph R. Pace, began his career in public service in 2007 as the Court Administrator with the City of Copperas Cove, Texas. He went on to serve as the Interim Junior City Planner, Director of Parks & Recreation, and as the City liaison on the Board of Directors of the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Pace served as the City Manager for the City of Lorena from December 2015 until June 2021. He represented the City of Lorena on the Policy Board of Directors of the Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), on the board of directors on the Waco Metropolitan Area Regional Sewer System (WMARSS), and as co-chair on the Waco Area Economic Development Corporation. He also served as a representative of Region 7 on the Texas City Management Association (TCMA) Advocacy Committee-which promotes the professionalism of City Manager role in City government. Mr. Pace began his employment as the City Manager with the City of Wharton on June 15, 2021.
Mr. Pace served three years in the United States Army Infantry. He obtained both a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Lamar University-Beaumont. He is a full member of the International City Manager's Association (ICMA) and is an ICMA-Credentialed Manager (ICMA-CM). Mr. Pace is also a certified Professional Community Economic Developer (PCED) through the Community Development Institute (CDI) at Lone Star College. He completed the Graduate Certificate Program in Urban & Regional Planning from the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) in December 2020. Furthermore, he is a member of the Texas City Management Association (TCMA) Region 6, American Planning Association (APA), Flood Plain Manager’s Association, and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and received is Certified Public Manager (CPM) Credentials in June 2023. Mr. Pace is married to his wife, Lori, who achieved a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and is a Registered Nurse (RN). The couple does not have children but are very proud owners of two dogs.