Trevor Pulley praises community, looks to be hands-on in Cape city administration roles

(Editor's note: This story has been updated.)

Trevor Pulley sat in his first floor City Hall office in Cape Girardeau, looking out the eastward-facing windows to see downtown and the muddy Mississippi River below.

It's one of the "best views in town," he said, made possible by those in the community working together. It's a view he admires but doesn't plan on spending time enjoying.

"I like to be hands-on; I do. I like to know what's going on to be able to serve the public," said Pulley, Cape Girardeau's new assistant city manager and community development director. "Sitting in an office is not going to serve the public."

Pulley's homecoming officially began Dec. 5. The Cape Girardeau native was raised here for most of his childhood, briefly moving away in high school before returning to Cape Girardeau for college at Southeast Missouri State University.

Pulley has extensive experience in construction and law enforcement. He served in the Cape Girardeau Police Department for 10 years before leaving for a position in Dexter, Missouri, where he served with the department for more thn two decades, as chief for three years.

He specialized in computer forensics in the 1990s. Pulley knew criminals would be moving online, so law enforcement would have to as well, he said.

Pulley was later appointed to the position of town administrator in Dexter, his most recent job prior to coming to Cape Girardeau. He said his experience in city administration and decades in supervising a police department have prepared him for public service.

"I go from one end of the spectrum to the other," Pulley said of his expertise and the tasks he may face.

City leadership can be working on a large development plan or helping someone with a water bill that was more expensive than they expected.

Pulley said he was eager to return to Cape Girardeau because of the people.

"This is a very, very good community," he said. "The community backs the city, and they want to see it grow."

At least for the next few months, Pulley will spend his weekdays in Cape Girardeau and his weekends in Dexter. Pulley loves a project, he said. His current one is fixing his and his wife's Dexter house up and getting it ready to sell.

The father of three may also be visiting family, whether it's his twin boys in other cities in Southeast Missouri or his daughter and grandson in Miami.

As far as hobbies are concerned, aside from his projects, Pulley enjoys officiating high school volleyball and basketball. He said it's a way to give back to the community and see the local schools firsthand.

"You can see a lot of young gentleman and ladies grow up," Pulley said, much like a downtown in a community supported by its residents.