City manager to stay in Albert Lea
Published 3:41 pm Friday, March 6, 2015
Albert Lea City Manager Chad Adams, one of seven finalists for the job of city manager in Sedona, Ariz., was not offered the job.
Adams, who has worked in Albert Lea since 2011, interviewed in Sedona on Wednesday and Thursday, but was not called in for additional interviews on Friday as one of the top two candidates.
“I look forward to getting back to Albert Lea and working on some of the goals with the council and staff,” he said.
Though he was excited about the possible opportunity in Sedona, Adams said he is equally as excited about things that could happen in Albert Lea in the next couple years. He said he would like to do a community-wide strategic plan — similar to Austin’s Vision 2020 — and encourage more community involvement.
He also looks forward to more work in the downtown and continued efforts with the Blue Zones Project and the Blazing Star Landing.
In a previous interview, Adams stated he had been attracted to the Sedona community after a vacation a few years ago. He said he thought it might be a good place to work down the road after his children were finished with school. The chance to apply came sooner, and he thought it would be a good opportunity to seek out.
Sedona has a population of about 10,000 but is a known tourist destination. Its city organization is about the same size as in Albert Lea.
Recruitment firm Peckham & McKenney began searching for a new city manager in Sedona in October and received 108 resumes for the position.. The Sedona City Council reviewed the top 17 applicants and then narrowed that list down to seven.
Other finalists to be interviewed were 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.
The council ultimately offered the job to Clifton on a unanimous vote.