Crestwood’s Chief of Police Jonathan Williams stepped up as the city’s interim city administrator on Feb. 1, following the departure of former city administrator Kris Simpson for a job in Creve Coeur. The Call checked in with Williams to hear about the first few weeks of his new role.
“It is a busy time for our staff,” Williams said.
As interim city administrator, Williams is pushing along 2026’s planned projects — keeping them on schedule and becoming realities — such as managing the new businesses moving into Crestwood, development along Watson Road, construction of the new community center, “The Cliffs,” and various Prop A projects.
Williams says that, because interdepartmental sharing is “a strength throughout the city,” he was aware of the upcoming projects, which helped shrink the learning curve. He also met with Simpson and Mayor Scott Shipley before Simpson’s departure to ensure city staff was achieving “business as usual” amidst the staffing change.
As for managing two positions at once, as both interim city administrator and Chief of Police, Williams says the roles have some similarities. Planning for 2026 in the police department wrapped up in October; now, the department is following through on already laid-out plans.
“For me, taking on this extra responsibility came at the right time,” Williams said. “During the first quarter of the year, my role as Chief of Police is to make sure those plans are put into action. This is a similar function to the city administrator, just on a smaller scale.”
He added, “In the police department, having the right personnel in the right roles and empowering them to make decisions has made this balance easier. The entire department, from our command staff to our patrol officers, does phenomenal work.”
On the city side of things, Williams has worked closely in recent weeks with Assistant City Administrator and Director of Public Works Jeff Faust — though the two have maintained a “great relationship” in the five years that Williams has been with the city of Crestwood. Williams says that he’s leaning on Faust’s experience and asking questions.
“This position is all about making decisions, but you want to make informed decisions,” Williams said. “Having someone I trust to help make the right decisions is invaluable.”
The Board of Aldermen was scheduled to choose an executive recruitment firm to aid in the search for a new city administrator at its Feb. 24 meeting, after The Call’s press time. Prior to his departure, Simpson anticipated the hiring process would take 10 to 12 weeks.
On Simpson and the search for a new city administrator, Williams said, “I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. He led the city through difficult financial times and has left us in a great spot. It’s now time to turn the page and start a new chapter.”
