Republic’s Landis to leave city position, return to TV

Former newsman makes way back to media, this time KOLR 10
After three years as public information officer for the city of Republic, Mike Landis is returning to television. In a couple of weeks, he will be the weekend anchor and weeknight reporter for both KOLR-10 and Ozarks FOX.
Landis said he is very eager to begin the next chapter in his career, which he said will permit him to “do something of everything.”
“Viewers will see me a little bit of everywhere,” he said. “I am interested in all aspects of the TV news industry, from the technical and production aspects to the journalism and community engagement sides. Getting to both anchor and report will allow me to do some of everything, and I am looking forward to that.”
Landis came to Republic in 2018 from KY3, where he had been a news reporter.
 He said covering stories in Republic made him aware of the position of public information officer.
“As a journalist, I was very interested in city government and had long covered that topic,” he said. “Another subject I covered in-depth was ongoing development projects and construction around the area. This often led me to do stories in Republic, of course, with all the building going on. I loved visiting the community and telling stories about all that was happening. When Republic’s public information officer position came open in 2018, I jumped at the chance to serve the public in a new way.”
Landis was actually Republic’s first public information officer, and as such, he literally built the city’s new communication department from the ground up. He believes the department he built has helped to improve the relationship between city’s leadership and the public.
“I was in charge of building and operating the new communication department,” he said. “During that time, we have implemented more effective and efficient ways of communicating, (and) we have launched new websites and publications, significantly increased our social media presence, established working relationships with local media outlets, rolled out new branding and promotional campaigns, and are in the process of releasing a new smartphone app. My goal was to build a professional department that resulted in a stronger relationship between the municipal government and the people of the community. While it’s always a work in progress, I believe we’ve built a messaging platform that serves the people well, and makes Republic shine and stand out.”
Will remain a familiar face around town
Landis said what he will miss most about his job is the people he has worked with. However, he said, he expects the public will see him around as he continues to cover happenings in the city.
“It has been a fantastic opportunity to work with such a top-notch and professional team,” he said. “I will also miss seeing the people of this community who have made me feel like family. I will still be around, however. With all the great stuff taking place, I am confident I will be coming to town quite a bit for news stories.”
Reflecting on his time with the city, Landis said he was grateful for the opportunity to be the city’s public information officer.
“I’ve really enjoyed the last three years serving with the city of Republic,” he said. “I want to thank City Administrator David Cameron for the opportunity to work with such a great organization and community.”
Landis’ last day on the job will be Friday, April 9. A search is already underway for the next public information officer, and Landis doesn’t believe the position will be vacant for long.
“There has already been quite a bit of response from interested applicants,” he said.