Kate Fitzpatrick was appointed as the first Town Manager, after a change in the form of government for the Town of Needham, in May 2005.  She has served the community since 1990 as Town Administrator, Assistant Town Administrator and Personnel Director. Prior to serving in Needham, Ms. Fitzpatrick worked in a variety of human resource roles for Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the Department of Youth Services and the Department of Personnel Administration (now HRD).

Ms. Fitzpatrick is an active member of the International City Management Association and recently completed a term as the current President of the Massachusetts Municipal Managers Association. She served on the Local Government Advisory Committee, and was appointed by Governor Patrick to serve as the municipal representative on the Special Commission to Study the Contributory Retirement System. Ms. Fitzpatrick previously served as chairman of the Massachusetts Municipal Association's Labor and Personnel Policy Committee and the Massachusetts Municipal Personnel Association. Ms. Fitzpatrick is the 2001 recipient of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Eugene Rooney Award for outstanding contributions made in the field of municipal human resources management.

Ms. Fitzpatrick received a Bachelor's Degree in History from the College of Holy Cross in 1984, and an MBA, with a concentration in Public Management, from Boston University in 1993. She is an ICMA Credentialed Manager.