Decision could come in March

Albert Lea City Manager Chad Adams has been named a finalist for a city manager position in Sedona, Arizona.

Adams, one of seven finalists, has worked in Albert Lea since 2011. Prior to that, he was a city administrator in Medina and Onawa, Iowa.

Adams said he found out the news over the weekend, but it was made public on Tuesday on the city of Sedona’s website.

He said he traveled through Sedona a few years ago on a vacation and felt attracted to the community. He thought down the road after his children were finished with school that it might be a good place to work. However, when the chance to apply came up sooner, he said he thought it would be a good opportunity.

He described it as a “highly coveted” position for city managers.

“There’s no other place I’m looking at,” he said. “I love Albert Lea. I’d like to be here for a number of years, but it’s kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

He said the city organization in Sedona is about the same size as in Albert Lea, though Sedona only has a population of about 10,000. It is a known tourist destination and is also known for its array of red sandstone formations.

Finalists will be interviewed March 4, 5 and 6, and a decision could come as early as March 6. They will meet with city employees, the Sedona City Council and community members over the course of the three days.

Recruitment firm Peckham & McKenney began searching for a new city manager in Sedona in October 2014 and received 108 resumes for the position, the website states. The Sedona City Council reviewed the top 17 applicants and on Friday chose its top candidates to interview in-person.

Other finalists to be interviewed are Justin Clifton, city manager in Delta, Colorado; Anthony O’Rourke, city manager in Yakima, Washington; Dana Reed, interim town manager in Tremont, Maine; and D. Michael Segrest, local government consultant in Snowmass Village, Colorado.

Adams received a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and two bachelor’s degrees from Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall.