Crestwood’s second ward has a new alderperson: Kitty Nangle Lohrum.
Unanimously appointed by the Crestwood Board of Aldermen at its June 23 meeting, she will replace former alderman Michael Balles.
“I’m very pleased to make this nomination,” Mayor Scott Shipley said. “She brings more than two decades of leadership and experience in the nonprofit and education sectors, as well as a strong record of community engagement and board service.”
Her appointment comes shortly after the resignation of Balles on May 20, who resigned due to personal health reasons. Nangle Lohrum will serve as a Ward 2 alderperson until April 2027, when the city will hold its next general municipal election.
“Volunteer service has been something that has brought me so much joy throughout my life, and I always believe that you get more than you give,” Nangle Lohrum said. “Really, it is a privilege to be here. I feel very, very flattered and blessed to be among these people.”
She added, “With my time at the Sisters of St. Joseph — I’m not a particularly religious person, but one thing I gleaned from their work is their mission to ‘serve the dear neighbor without distinction.’ … I feel like I’m inserting myself into the broader Crestwood as my neighbors, so I look forward to serving my dear neighbor without distinction here in Crestwood.”
Nangle Lohrum currently serves as the Chief Advancement Officer at the City Garden Montessori School, where she leads fundraising and communications operations. She has also served in leadership roles at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon’s Children Hospital, Saint Louis and Fontbonne universities and more.
“Through my meetings with Kitty, I’ve been impressed by her approach and commitment to public service and her desire to serve the residents,” Shipley said.
Nangle Lohrum also serves on the boards of the Sappington-Concord Historical Society and Christmas in Crestwood. She began tuning into Crestwood Board of Aldermen meetings in 2020 due to her interest in developments at the city’s edge, which led to her connecting with Ward 4 Alderman John Sebben.
“John first floated the idea of my running,” Nangle Lohrum said. “I told him leadership was doing a fine job — maybe someday. ‘Someday’ turned out to be a six-year recruitment I didn’t realize was happening. My now fellow Ward 2 alderperson, Rebecca Now, and I connected earlier this year about her interest in recruiting another woman for the dais. And, well, she’s just very easy to like, so I started thinking I could enjoy partnering with her.”
At the June 23 meeting, the Board of Aldermen also approved a resolution honoring “the able, intelligent and conscientious services rendered by Michael Balles during his years on the board.” Balles rose to receive a plaque in honor of his time on the board, and the gathered aldermen, city staff and attendees stood to applaud him.
“Mike, this represents a body of work and years of service and dedication to the city, so I’m proud to present it to you, and thank you for all those years,” Shipley said as he presented the plaque.
Balles was in the second year of his three-year term. On April 6, 2027, Crestwood residents will have the chance to vote an alderman into the Ward 2 seat currently held by Nangle Lohrum to complete the final year of Balles’ three-year term. The Ward 2 seat is slated to be on the ballot again the next year, in 2028, for a new four-year term. Crestwood’s aldermanic terms, due to the passage of Proposition 4 in the April municipal election, are changing from three- to four-year term lengths, keeping staggered terms.