- December 4, 2025
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During an 18-year career with the Florida Department of Transportation, Nikesh (Nik) Patel spent 14 of them living in and near Sarasota.
It is a city he describes as one of the most forward-thinking communities in the region, and when the opportunity arose to succeed the retiring City Engineer Alex Davis Shaw in 2021 after 31 years of service, he leaped at the chance.
Now four years later, following a national search he succeeds another three-decade city executive, Doug Jeffcoat, as public works director. Patel took the reins of the agency, which includes his former department, on Aug. 20. Jeffcoat, who stayed on for two weeks to help facilitate the leadership transition, officially concluded his city employment on Sept. 2.
“I am pleased that Nik was chosen for this important position in the city," said Mayor Liz Alpert. "He has shown leadership qualities from the start and a willingness to do what it takes to get the job done. In addition, he has the skills needed for the task.”
In his resume tailored for the job, Patel wrote he is “Prepared to lead as the city of Sarasota’s next public works director by uniting decisive leadership, strategic vision and operational excellence to drive inclusive growth, advance sustainability and foster meaningful community partnerships while honoring the city’s rich cultural heritage and natural character.”
Patel, 40, brings to the job 21 years of experience in engineering, operations and organizational transformation. A native of Zambia who moved to the U.S. in 1997, he holds a bachelor of science in civil engineering and one in mechanical engineering, plus a master of science in mechanical engineering, all from University of South Florida.
He parlayed that education into a career with the Florida Department of Transportation, where for seven years he worked on the project of widening I-75 from Manatee County to Alligator Alley. Once that project was completed, he led the construction of the diverging diamond interchange at I-75 and University Parkway.
“After I finished that project, I ended up getting promoted as the heartland operations engineer, where I worked in the rural counties,” Patel said of his experience managing a team of 67. “I oversaw state roads in six counties and three offices in Arcadia, LaBelle and Sebring and led that for three years.”
That opportunity also meant relocating from Sarasota, where he had lived since 2007, in 2018 to Myakka to be closer to his territory. Now with a young family of two children, he sought work that required little to no travel.
That led him to City Hall and a shorter drive to the west.
“Alex Davis Shaw was retiring at that point. I was very interested in being closer to home and this was a great opportunity,” Patel said.
Patel still lives on a small farm in the Myakka area of Sarasota County with his wife of 12 years, Kinsey, and two children. There, they care for more than 30 animals including cows, goats, chickens, donkeys, cats, pigs and dogs.
“It’s one of the most rewarding, and often entertaining, parts of our daily life,” he said.
A new part of his daily life is leading a staff of 106 in multiple disciplines including capital projects, right of way maintenance, solid waste, engineering and permitting, maintaining a fleet of more than 600 vehicles — not including the police department — and more.
As city engineer, he managed a staff of 51 overseeing right of way from planning to implementation, transportation planning, was involved in aspects of private development where it interacts with the right of way, stormwater management and more. Along the way, he said he benefitted from the mentorship of Jeffcoat and Deputy City Manager Patrick Robinson.
“In his time with the City, Nik has consistently performed above and beyond expectations and has not only demonstrated expertise in his field and capability as a leader, but also a dedication to making our city smarter, safer and more resilient,” said Robinson. “Nik is an asset to our team and has my full confidence as he takes the reins of the Public Works Department.”
Accomplishments Patel listed on his resume include:
Known for forging impactful public-private partnerships, elevating service delivery, and modernizing critical assets.
“All the way from planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance, and also the right of way management; that was the purview of the of the city engineering job,” Patel said. “Also, I oversaw all the engineering permits that go through the permitting for all the development that's going on across the city.”
That experience, which often overlapped with other public works functions, provided Patel familiarity and expertise within other aspects of the department.
“Nik’s exceptional background with both state and local projects, professional licenses, and extensive local network made him the clear choice to lead our Public Works Department," Robinson said.
While working for the Florida Department of Transportation with the emphasis on regional and statewide issues, Patel was answerable to those above him. As a municipal employee, that accountability is largely to the city’s residents, one of the most significant adjustments he had to make when joining the city in 2018.
“One of the biggest challenges that I had moving from the state to the city is they operate very differently,” he said. “At the state, you're thinking more statewide, you're thinking more regional, you're thinking more on the holistic side of things. Coming to the local level, you feel the heartbeat of the community.”
More than just the heart of the community, he also had its ear.
“At the state level, I had public information officers to help me communicate with the public because I focused on the engineering side of it and leading my staff,” he said. “Then I came to the city, and I remember calling Jan (Thornburg, the city’s communications general manager) and asked, ‘what is your perspective on public information?’ She said, ‘Well, Nik, you're it. You're the one who's going to communicate with the public and do all that.’"
“It was a big change for me. You really are engaging with the community here and with their concerns, and in my position being able to make a difference and seeing if I can help support the community's best interests," he said.
In his new role, that list of best interests has expanded exponentially as he shifts his focus from engineering, and all that implies, to overseeing multiple departments largely involved in direct services to the residents.
The biggest challenges facing the city and his department, Patel said, are the rising costs of construction, materials and workforce; and how to adapt to those changing conditions.
"Nik has the skills and ability to work with our neighborhoods and citizens, our state and local partners, our business community, and other department directors to produce exceptional outcomes for the city of Sarasota," Robinson said. "He is the right person at the right time for this position.”
