Vail names four finalists for its town manager position
Three of the four finalists are currently working in Colorado
Vail Mayor Kim Langmaid has announced the search for a new Vail Town Manager has been narrowed to four finalists:
- Heather Balser, Interim Chief Resiliency Officer, City of Greeley.
Balser has more than 24 years of leadership experience with the City of Louisville, Colorado. including serving the last four years as City Manager. Most recently she has been providing advisory services as Interim Chief Resiliency Officer for the City of Greeley and as Transportation Advisor for the Boulder Chamber of Commerce. Balser’s education includes a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Colorado at Denver. She has attended the International City Manager’s Association Senior Executive Institute, University of Virginia, Darden School of Business. - John Craig, Assistant County Administrative Officer, Mono County, California. Craig currently serves as Assistant County Administrative Officer for Mono County, located in Mammoth Lakes, California. He previously served in city and county manager and deputy manager roles for the City of Rio Rancho, New Mexico; Talbot County, Maryland; and Barre, Vermont. Craig has a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs in New York, New York and is recognized as a credentialed manager by the International City/County Manager Association.
- Russell Forrest, City Manager, City of Gunnison, Colorado. Forrest has served as the City Manager in Gunnison since 2016. His prior experience includes Assistant County Manager for Economic and Community Development in Gunnison County; Town Manager for Snowmass Village; and Community Development Director at the Town of Vail. Forrest’s education includes both a Bachelor’s of Arts and a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of Illinois.
- Bentley Henderson, Assistant County Manager, Summit County. Henderson has more than 20 years of local government experience and currently serves as Assistant County Manager in Summit County. He previously served as County Administrator in Archuleta County, Public Works Director in Basalt, and Assistant City Manager in Aspen. Henderson holds a Bachelor’s degree from Fort Lewis College and a Masters of Arts in Public Administration from the University of Colorado School of Public Affairs in Denver.
The candidates will travel to Vail for a series of interviews on Aug. 11 and 12. The itinerary will include a community meet and greet scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 11, at Vail Golf & Nordic Clubhouse. All interested community members are encouraged to attend.
The finalists were selected by the Vail Town Council following an initial screening of 67 applications by the executive search firm Columbia Ltd. The council will determine the next steps following this week’s interviews.
Additional biographical information on the four finalists will be available at vailgov.com by Aug. 10.
Colorado