The names of the four finalists for Manhattan City Manager have been released to the public.
The candidates will be Jacob Wood, Jamie Miller, Jason Gage and Danielle Dulin. The four finalists will be coming to Manhattan on Jul. 22 to meet with city residents at the Flint Hills Discovery Center from 4:30 to 6 as they’ll answer questions from the public.
All four candidates have lengthy experiences working in city government. Mr. Wood has more than 15 years of experience in local government, including more than 10 years in senior leadership positions. Currently, he serves as the Deputy City Manager for the city of Salina a position he’s held for the last 12 years.
Ms. Miller has more than 10 years of experience and she has spent the last two years as the City Manager of Paris, Kentucky, a 10,000-person town 18 miles northeast of Lexington. Previously, she served in roles in the city of Port Orange, Florida.
Mr. Gage has the longest tenure in city government of the four, serving more than 25 years in local government currently servng as City Manager in Springfield, Missouri, a position he has held since 2018. He is no stranger to Kansas, serving as Salina City Manager from 2005 until 2018 and was also assistant City Manager of Salina from 1994 until 1999.
Ms. Dulin has more than 10 years of local government service, serving the last three years as City Manager of Warrensburg, Missouri which is the home of the University of Central Missouri. She also ties to Kansas serving as Assistant to the City Manager for Lenexa, Prairie Village and Mission Hills.
44 applicants applied for the position previously held by longtime city manager Ron Fehr who retired in April. Jason Hilgers is the current interim city manager but is not applying for the position.
