The City of Fruita, Colorado, sits high on the Colorado Plateau along the banks of the majestic Colorado River, eight miles west of Grand Junction and 17 miles east of the Utah border. The city is part of the Grand Valley, which takes its name from the river, originally called the Grand River. Early settlers irrigated this high desert valley, capitalizing on abundant sunshine to build a major agricultural region rich with crop-growing farms and fruit-growing orchards. From this foundation, the city has become like no other place in Colorado, and residents cherish and actively cultivate their multifaceted, admittedly funky identity. The city’s FY 2025 Budget (proposed) is $27M (GF $14M), supporting 129 FTE (90 FTE, 70 PTE).
Fruita has enjoyed tremendous stability in the city manager position – the last two managers each served for over 10 years. As chief administrative officer, the city manager oversees the day-to-day operations of the city and the department heads who comprise the city’s leadership team, all in furtherance of implementing the policy priorities of the city council. The city manager must interact actively with the community to help meet the needs of this well-informed, highly-engaged community, that loves Fruita like nowhere else in the world.
A four-year degree in public administration, political science, business administration, or a related field, a minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in local government, including three to five as a municipal manager, assistant, or major department head, are all preferred. Any equivalent combination of training and experience may be considered at the sole discretion of the city. Residency in the city is required, and a graduate degree is preferred.
Resume and cover letter only to apply@columbialtd
The hiring range for this position is $170,000 to $200,000, with the salary determination DOQE. In addition, the following benefits are provided: medical (employee covered 100%, dependents 95%), dental (employee and dependents covered 100%), vision (voluntary), life, and supplemental insurances (voluntary). Retirement benefits customary to the position are offered through the Colorado Retirement Association, 401(a) mandatory, 457(b) optional. This position enjoys paid time off, sick leave, paid holidays, a vehicle allowance, and professional memberships. Relocation assistance is subject to negotiation.
Columbia ltd provides executive search services to local government agencies throughout the western United States. Incorporated in 2016 by Andrew Gorgey, who serves as Chief Executive Officer and lead recruiter, the firm maintains its principal place of business and headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado. For more information, please visit https://columbialtd.com.
Mayors, commissioners, supervisors, council members, trustees, directors, and board members trust Columbia ltd to help them with one of the most important decisions they will ever make, choosing their next manager. Similarly, professional local government managers and human resources professionals trust Columbia ltd to find high-performing, ethical professionals to complete their executive leadership teams.
“Excellence in Executive Recruiting.” The essence of “Excellence in Executive Recruiting” is a deep commitment to our clients and the communities we serve. We listen actively, and carefully. Through diligence, a strong work ethic, working with a sense of urgency, attention to detail, and anticipation of every client agency’s unique needs, we are able to find the chief executive, director, manager, or department head, who best fits the community, its elected officials, the organization, and its professional management. We help you find the ideal candidate to address the challenges you are facing now, to execute faithfully your policy priorities, to help develop strategy and meet your goals, and to provide solid, consistent leadership and management for years to come.
Values-based. Mission-driven. Columbia ltd is the executive recruiter of choice in the western United States. This is because we are completely committed to a principle-centered, values-based approach to the essential local government function of bringing the best-qualified professionals into the organization. Everything we do is fueled by these eight values: Excellence, Professionalism, Ethics, Courage, Adaptability, Innovation, Continual Improvement, and Service. These are not just words – these are core values to which we adhere every day.
Living our values allows us to meet Our Mission:
We serve local governments and their citizens through excellence in executive recruiting, advancing organizations, improving teams, and enhancing communities, one recruitment at a time.
We ensure each client agency has meaningful choice between highly-qualified candidates, in every professional discipline, who meet the needs of the organization and community.