Town Board Plans to Make Quick Hiring Decision Following Candidate Interviews Next Week Ahead of Busy Summer Season
Grand Lake, CO—Trustees of the Town of Grand Lake proudly present four finalists to be interviewed in person on May 21 in a special public session starting at 4 p.m. at Town Hall. The finalists were chosen from a strong pool of 19 applicants during an executive session at their regularly scheduled board meeting on May 13. One will be selected to for the Town’s top leadership position which was recently vacated by John Crone after 5 years at the helm as he moved on to become manager of the newly incorporated town of Keystone, CO. Since Crone’s departure on May 1, the Town has been competently managed by an employee team led by Town Clerk, Alayna Carrell, and Public Works Director, Matt Reed-Tolonen, who will continue to co-manage throughout the hiring process.
The finalists include:
• J. David Fraser of Cheyenne, WY, who is currently the Executive Director of the Wyoming Association of Municipalities, following previous roles as a municipal consultant at Municipal Solutions and Town Manager of the City of Boulder, NV, during his lengthy career representing municipal interests.
• Guy Patterson of Colorado who is currently managing a metropolitan district in Durango, CO, following Town Manager roles in Hudson, CO, as well as Municipal Administrator positions in Red Cliff, Timnath, Salida and DeBeque, CO, during his 25-year career in public administration.
• Edward Dickey of St. George, UT, who has managed Nogales, AZ; Dewey, AZ; and the City of North Ogden, UT, during his 17 years working in public administration. Dickey touts a “hands-on approach” and also has experience with disaster response.
• Jonathan Cross of Tabernash, CO, who is currently an attorney looking to “end his career on a public service note” following a lifetime in various roles in Colorado law, beginning as Chief Deputy District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District in 1975, followed by more than 30 years as a partner in two different private practice firms, where he was responsible for a variety of roles including government entity defense, civil liability and prosecutor.
Candidates will be interviewed by the Trustees as well as a panel of staff, and a decision is expected to be made shortly thereafter in hopes of having the incoming manager established ahead of the upcoming busy summer season. The Grand Lake Board of Trustees has established an aggressive Comprehensive Plan for the Town, which the incoming manager will oversee implementing alongside a staff of 18 employees.
During the recruitment process, the board sought guidance from the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, an association of local governments that serves 30 member jurisdictions across six counties in northwest Colorado, including Grand County. Executive Director, Jon Stavney, has extensive experience advising, guiding and assisting local governments at critical pivot points during which an outside perspective can be useful, such as periods of executive turnover.
While the Town of Grand Lake eagerly anticipates new leadership, we are looking forward to what will surely be another fun and lively summer chock full of family-friendly events and activities, kicking off with the annual Memorial Day parade and ceremony on May 27, followed by a Chili Cook-Off in June, Independence Day fireworks and the inaugural Grand Lake Folk Festival on July 13, showcasing headliner Trampled by Turtles following their July 11 show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
Media Contact:
Jon Stavney
Executive Director
Northwest Colorado Council of Governments
(970) 471-9050
jstavney [at] nwccog.org