City Manager

Melissa Valadez-Cummings was appointed city manager on August 1, 2024 . Melissa has served the City of Cedar Hill for more than 20 years.

Over the course of her career at the City of Cedar Hill, Melissa has overseen numerous strategic initiatives and departments. In her role as deputy city manager, she led the implementation of the City’s 2017 bond program, which authorized $45 million in parks renovations, street and drainage improvements, an outdoor aquatics facility and a new public library and signature park. Melissa has also been a champion of Cedar Hill’s sustainability efforts, securing more than two million dollars in grants for citywide green projects. 

Melissa is an ICMA Certified Public Manager through the International City Managers Association and an alumni of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program.  She is a 2007 graduate of the Senior Executive Institute (SEI) of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia and a 2008 graduate of the Leadership ICMA program.  Melissa is an active member of the International City Management Association (ICMA), the Texas City Management Association (TCMA) and the North Texas City Management Association (NTCMA). Melissa earned her bachelor's degree in political science from Kansas State University and holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas, where she serves on the alumni board of the renowned KU MPA City Management focused program. 

She is passionate about seeing other women succeed and enjoys promoting women to serve in leadership roles throughout the community. Melissa has two daughters, Amaya, and Zoe.