FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
McPherson City Commission
September 8, 2009
Contact: Tom Brown. Mayor of McPherson, 620-245-2535
The City of McPherson Announces Finalists for
City Administrator
The McPherson City Commission will interview three finalists for the position of City Administrator during the week of September 14. The Mayor and Commissioners hope to have the new Administrator in place by November 1, 2009.
The finalists are highly experienced local government managers: Greg DuMars, City Administrator of Lindsborg; Nick Gregory, Assistant City Administrator of Great Bend; and Gerry Vernon, City Administrator of Smithville, Missouri.
Greg DuMars has thirteen years experience in public management in Kansas. He has serve as City Administrator in Lindsborg for eleven years and prior to that served two years as Executive Director of the Lindsborg Housing Authority. He has extensive experience in designing and monitoring capital investment programs such as electric and water distribution systems, wastewater treatment plant, city hall renovation, hiking/biking trail, and major street projects. Mr. DuMars has a Bachelors of Business Administration degree in finance from Wichita State University. He is a member of International City and County Management Association (ICMA). 
Nick Gregory has served in his current capacity as Assistant City Administrator at the City of Great Bend (population 15,500) for five years. Previous positions include Great Bend Research and Project Coordinator and Wichita Water and Sewer Department Management Intern. Also, he currently serves as Great Bend public information officer, project manager for Neighborhood Revitalization Program, and planning/zoning administrator. He was the project leader for Great Bend’s award winning website. He has a Masters of Public Administration degree from Wichita State University. He is a member of International City and County Management Association (ICMA).
Gerry Vernon has performed the City Administrator management capacities in Smithville, Missouri (located north of Kansas City with a population 8,000) for three years. He was first appointed in 1997 as Smithville Public Works Director and in 2002 was appointed as that city’s Assistant Administrator. He has financial management experience, including developing and managing $5.2 million operating budget and capital facility budget. Previously he had municipal experience as a firefighter and commanding officer for the Fire Department in Colby Kansas. He earned a Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of Kansas. He is a member of International City and County Management Association (ICMA). All three finalists have credentials and expertise important to McPherson governing body: solid experience and expertise in local government management; management degree from an accredited university; expertise and experience in human resource management and membership in the International City and County Management Association (ICMA).
The interview process will include an opportunity for community participation. Each candidate will be invited to appear at a public forum where citizens and media can hear candidate’s presentations and ask questions at 12:30 pm at the Municipal Building September 15 (DuMars), 16 (Gregory), and 17 (Vernon). Commissioners will invite those attending to evaluate the candidates by completing comment cards.
The recruitment of a new Administrator began in July with Board approval of a recruitment profile. A total of 40 resumes were received for the position, and 28 in this group met the Board’s minimum qualifications. A consultant, Marla Flentje of The Austin Peters Group, Inc. thoroughly reviewed resumes in the later group and recommended five semifinalists for interviews. Last week the mayor and commissioners selected the three finalists.
In July, the City Commission revised and approved separating the Administrator’s duties from the City Clerk duties. The separation will be possible without hiring an additional employee.
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