The City of Las Cruces is moving forward in its search for a new City Manager. Candidates have been narrowed to two finalists after virtual meetings have concluded between the City Council, mayor and the candidates this afternoon.
The two finalists Council selected include:
Gary Halbert, City Manager, City of Chula Vista, California and;
Ifo Pili, City Administrator, City of Eagle Mountain City, Utah.
Tomorrow (Wednesday, July 22), the remaining two finalists advance to the next step which includes additional virtual interviews (via Zoom) by a Community Panel and an Employee Panel.
As explained in a previous New Release, the Community Panel will consist of community members nominated for this purpose by the mayor and each councilor. These members will also view videos submitted by the two finalists. A survey for feedback will be administered and results will be provided to the mayor and council.
The Employee Panel will include department directors and an employee of their choice as well as a representative from each union. This panel will also review the two finalists’ videos, and a survey for feedback will be administered with results provided to the mayor and council. Later, after the additional panel interviews, the mayor and council will convene in a closed session to discuss the finalists.
The Novak Consulting Group, of Cincinnati, Ohio has assisted the City in the recruitment process of candidates for the City Manager position, which has been vacant since April 2019. The Novak Group had received 63 applications.