Will Hampton, who has led the City of Round Rock’s communication’s efforts for the past 23 years, has announced his retirement. The City won more than 100 state and national awards for excellence during his tenure, earning Round Rock a national reputation for creativity and effective citizen engagement. 

City Manager Laurie Hadley will promote Sara Bustilloz, currently Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing, to succeed Hampton, who will retire in December. 

“Will has set a standard of excellence for City communications and will be missed,” Hadley said. “I couldn’t be more pleased to move Sara into the Director’s role to build on our already successful communications efforts.” 

Hampton was recognized as the 3CMA Communicator of the Year in 2018 and the Cheryl A. Soward Communicator of Distinction from the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO) in 2021. The awards are the most prestigious individual honors given by those professional associations. 

Bustilloz has been in her current position for nearly four years. She began her career in newspaper reporting and has served in municipal government communications since 2012, working previously for the City of Midland and Pflugerville Police Department. She earned her Bachelor of Journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin in 2009 and received a Certified Public Communicator certification from Texas Christian University in 2014. Sara currently serves on the Board of Directors for TAMIO as Vice President of Communications.