Papllion – The City of Papillion selected Alan Thelen as its next city attorney, anticipating the retirement of Karla Rupiper later this summer.

Thelen, a deputy city attorney for the City of Omaha, will serve as co-attorney with Rupiper until her planned retirement in August.

“I’m looking forward to the op­portunity with the City of Papillion,” Thelen told The Daily Record in an email. “I’ve enjoyed my 28 years of practicing municipal law with the City of Omaha, and I’m excited to take on some new chal­lenges with Papillion.”

Thelen was unanimously approved by the Papillion City Council at a meeting Tuesday af­ter being ap­pointed by Papillion Mayor David Black. Thelen will start in Papillion on June 17, and Rupiper will retire on Aug. 2.

“We are excited for Alan to join our team,” Black said in a news release. “He has extensive legal back­ground with the City of Omaha that makes him a great fit for this posi­tion. We also want to thank Karla for her years of service to the City of Papillion, and we wish her the best in her retirement.”

Thelen is a graduate of the Creighton University School of Law. In his current role, he is the chief legal adviser for the Planning and Public Works departments, and he is involved with preparing legal opinions, contracts, ordinances, pro­posed legislation, risk management and civil litigation.

He serves on the Heartland Family Service Board of Directors, has been an instructor for the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice and is a volun­teer at the Siena Francis House.