Prosecutor McCullough named new city attorney for Republic

City prosecutor adds responsibilities with new title, role within local municipal government
 
Megan McCullough is the new city attorney for the City of Republic. Her first day as city attorney was on Monday, Dec. 20.

A powerful resume:

McCullough came to the job with some very impressive credentials. A native of Richmond, Va., she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in business management and then earned her Juris Doctorate from the Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh, Penn. in 2009. She worked 11 years in private practice, and was also an appointed member of the Criminal Justice Act Panel in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and the appellate panel for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. In that role, she handled criminal cases at both trial and appellate levels, according to her bio. Prior to her becoming city attorney, she became a senior attorney at Attorney at Foland, Wickens, Roper, Hofer & Crawford PC in Springfield in January of 2019.
McCullough said that by going into law, she was actually going into unknown territory, as nobody in her family had ever worked in the law before.
“I enjoyed school and was always passionate about the law,” she said. “No other member of my family had gone into law, and I was excited by the challenge of becoming the first in my family to do so.”

Other accomplishments in the law:

McCullough was also named a “Rising Star” attorney in West Virginia in 2015 and 2016, and again in Missouri and Kansas in 2017 and 2018. Her bio states that she has been published twice in the Annual Meeting Notebook of the West Virginia Trial Advocacy Counsel and also served as a chapter editor on the second edition of the legal manual “Age Discrimination in Employment Law” by Lindemann and Kadue, which was published in 2015. In 2017, McCullough also presented Missouri’s newly-enacted permitless concealed carry law before judges and fellow attorneys in the Christian County Bar Association.

Was already serving as city prosecutor when hired to become city attorney:

McCullough is no stranger to Republic. She became the city’s prosecuting attorney in March of 2021, a role she said she plans to continue in while also serving as city attorney.
When she first came to work for Republic last March, McCullough said the other city personnel gave her such a warm welcome, she knew she wanted to make Republic her permanent place of employment.
“When I first began serving as the city’s prosecutor, employees across all departments welcomed me with excitement and hospitality,” she said. “I was drawn to the positive work environment and how passionate the city’s employees are about the work they do here. I also admired the city’s dedication to its Mission, Vision and Values, and wanted to contribute my knowledge and expertise as the city continues to advance in the region.”

Two very different roles:

While the roles of city attorney and city prosecutor may sound highly related, McCullough said they are actually very different. For example, as the city prosecutor, her main job is to represent the city in prosecuting minor legal offenses.
“As the city prosecutor,” she said, “I am primarily responsible for filing and prosecuting charges for minor traffic offenses and misdemeanors committed within the city, as well as for violations of Republic’s animal control and zoning ordinances.  The Republic Municipal Court is in session every Wednesday morning and every second and fourth Wednesday afternoon, during which time I am in court prosecuting those cases.”
By contrast, McCullough took on a much broader role in her position as city attorney.
“As the city attorney, I consult with the various city departments on legal issues, procedures and protocols, draft ordinances and resolutions, attend council meetings and advise department heads and council members on related matters, supervise outside counsel on litigation in which the City is involved, review and advise on City contracts and agreements,” she said.

A valuable addition to Republic’s leadership:

In a press release announcing McCullough’s hiring as city attorney, City Administrator David Cameron said he felt Republic would greatly benefit with McCullough working for them.
“We are excited to have Megan McCullough join our ever-growing team in our ever-growing community, and we look forward to her expertise and her ability to lead us in our legal department,” he said.

Life outside of work:

When she is not in the office, McCullough said she enjoys spending time at home with her family and participating in a variety of activities.
“Spending time with my family and two children is what I enjoy most,” she said. “We love the outdoors and spend a lot of our time in the summers at the lake, boating, fishing and swimming.  I enjoy running and at least try to compete in a few local races every year. My faith is also a very important part of my life and supports me through challenges and tough times. I (also) enjoy being in church, where I serve as a vocalist on the praise team.”