City to start new search for permanent city manager

The Las Cruces City Council has decided to continue the search for a new city manager following yesterday’s interviews with the three finalists from the initial search.

“We conducted an exhaustive and thorough recruitment process over the past several months to find a leader who all seven of us on council could agree had all the leadership qualities we were looking for. Unfortunately, we opted not to go with any of the finalists and decided to begin the process over again,” said Mayor Ken Miyagishima.

Yesterday (Tuesday, March 17), the city council interviewed by video conference Veronica Soto, Neighborhood and Housing Services Director, City of San Antonio, TX; Kenneth Young, Assistant County Manager, Loudoun County, Virginia; and David Dollahon, Assistant City Manager/Chief Operations Officer, City of Las Cruces.

Miyagishima said the council will broaden the next recruitment effort by expanding the marketing of Las Cruces as a choice career location for a city manager and said the new effort will include, and reach beyond, the current pool of candidates to target assistant city managers in larger cities. The city will continue to retain the services of the Novak Consulting Group of Cincinnati, OH, to conduct the search.

The mayor said he hopes to have a new city manager in place withing three-to-six months.

Also, Assistant City Manager/Chief Executive Officer Bill Studer submitted his two-week notice yesterday. Studer served as interim city manager following the resignation of Stuart Ed last April. Studer has served with the city since April 3, 2017.

Interim City Manager David Maestas will select Studer’s replacement as assistant city manager.