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Hayden to interview town manager finalists

Matt Stensland







— The Hayden Town Council is hopeful that one of the four finalists for town manager will be the right fit for the job.

This will be the second time the town council has tried to fill the position.

After interviewing four finalists in May, council members decided they had not found the right person for the job.



The council wanted its future town manager to have strong economic development skills, but Mayor Jim Haskins said he thinks that might have been overemphasized during the vetting process done by a recruiter.

“We had people that had good economic development experience but not management experience,” Haskins said.



Hayden Police Chief Greg Tuliszewski has been filling in as the acting town manager, and Haskins wants to find a new town manager this time.

“I’m hopeful,” Haskins said. “We need to get that burden off Greg’s back.”

The finalists being considered this time are Pam Cherry, Ian Kaiser, Matthew Mendisco and Guy Patterson.

“I think there’s some good folks there,” Haskins said.

The community will be able to meet the candidates beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Hayden Town Hall.

The council will then meet Saturday to interview the finalists. Those interviews are not open to the public.

Cherry is currently the community development director for the city of McPherson, Kansas.

She has worked in land planning for the majority of her career in the Colorado Springs area.

According to information provided by the recruiter, Cherry enjoys the variety of collaborative opportunities with local, regional, state and federal agencies that planning provides and looks forward to bringing her skills to Hayden.

Cherry received her undergraduate degree in geography and environmental studies from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. At the same university, she received a master’s degree in public administration with an environmental policy concentration.

Kaiser is currently a Colorado city manager at Rocky Ford.

He served similar roles in Portola, California, and Blackville, South Carolina.

Kaiser landed $4.3 million in grants while working for Rocky Ford.

According to the recruiter, Kaiser believes perseverance, innovation, ingenuity and a passion for good governance have strengthened his resolve to lead and help Hayden.

He earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Oregon and a master of public administration degree from Golden Gate University,

For the past nine years, Mendisco has been a consultant to local governments and private developers in Colorado.

Haskins said Mendisco was previously a finalist for the town manager job, but David Torgler was hired, instead.

His background includes planning, budgeting, economic development, risk management, finance, grant writing and infrastructure planning.

Mendisco recieved a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Fort Lewis College and a master’s degree in political science with a focus in leadership and public policy.

Patterson lives in Avon and is the former chief administrative officer for Lake County.

He began his career working in Colorado politics as a consultant on issues ranging from multi-million dollar bond issues to congressional races and state-coordinated elections.

According to the recruiter, his unique blend of professional experiences allows him to understand the needs of various stakeholders, while protecting the interests of the communities he represents.

Patterson holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado at Denver.

To reach Matt Stensland, call 970-871-4247, email mstensland@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @SBTStensland


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