The Glenwood Springs City Council has narrowed the pool of candidates for the city manager position to three. The public is invited to meet the three finalists from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 28 at the Glenwood Springs Community Center.
After reviewing resumes and cover letters of more than 20 qualified applicants, City Council conducted remote interviews with six candidates, narrowing the pool to three. The next step is to introduce the finalists to the community and conduct in-person interviews with Council and city staff.
“We were thrilled with the quality of candidates attracted to Glenwood Springs and are excited to bring the three top candidates to meet with our community,” said Mayor Mike Gamba. “Each candidate offers something unique and we are looking forward to introducing them to the community and hearing your thoughts about them.”
The three finalists are Debra Figueroa, Assistant Borough Manager in Carlisle, PA, Joe Hannan, former City Manager in Palmer, AK, and James Nichols, Douglas County Manager in Minden, NV.
Figueroa is currently the assistant borough manager in Carlisle, PA. She has a strong background in city administration and community development. Her current responsibilities include lead project manager for the redevelopment of two closed factories that comprise over fifty acres of contaminated land in the outer core of downtown Carlisle. In addition, Figueroa oversees water and sewer plants, volunteer fire departments, parks and recreation, community development, downtown parking operations, police union negotiations and information technology.
Prior to Carlisle, Figueroa was in charge of community development and strategic planning in Sarasota, FL. She also served as a management analyst in the city manager’s office in Salem, OR, and as the assistant to the city manager in Sarasota. Figueroa holds a master’s degree in political science with an emphasis on public policy from the University of Florida.
Joe Hannan has been a city manager for more than 20 years in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. His experience includes urban renewal, enterprise zone, entrepreneurship, and water and wastewater utilities. Hannan has success in building city facilities and solving long-standing community challenges in infrastructure, finance and policy.
Hannan sympathizes with growth, transitioning what had been a rural fire department into something more urban. As city manager of Fife, WA, he worked in an agricultural community that had been transformed into a warehouse district for the Port of Tacoma. Hannan served as an intern for Governor Ronald Reagan. He also served in the United States Army, eventually retiring as a lieutenant colonel. While serving in the Army, Hannan worked to set up Bosnia’s first election and worked as press officer for Bill Clinton’s presidential visit to Bosnia.
Hannan holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from and attended graduate studies in public policy at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
James Nichols is a municipal executive with more than 16 years in local government management. His expertise is in public works, engineering, public safety, community services, parks and recreation, development review processes, performance management and capital improvement programs. Nichols currently serves as the county manager of Douglas County, Nevada. He has also held positions as assistant city manager in Midland, TX, deputy city manager in Las Vegas, NV and Goodyear, AR, public works director in Surprise, AZ and Chehalis, WA, and project engineer in Olympia, WA.
Nichols graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Northeastern University and a master’s degree in environmental engineering from University of Connecticut. He earned the designation of Credentialed Manager from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), as well as being a licensed Professional Engineer in Arizona, Nevada, and Washington.