
Meet the Candidates: Yakima City Manager Search Down to Three Finalists
The Yakima City Council is close to hiring a new City Manager after announcing the final three candidates on Monday.
YOU'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO MEET THE CANDIDATES NEXT MONTH
All three will be at a community meet-and-greet event set for Monday, July 1 at the Yakima Convention Center at 6:00 pm. City officials say the finalist pool includes Yakima Valley Conference of Governments Deputy Director Vicki Baker, Franklin County, Washington Administrator Mike Gonzalez, and Wellton, Arizona Town Manager Richard Marsh, Jr. All three candidates will be part of the meet-and-greet event July 1 at the Yakima Convention Center.
FINAL INTERVIEWS ARE SET FOR TUESDAY JULY 2
The next day the finalists will attend a special council meeting where they'll be interviewed by council members. That meeting starts at 12:00 pm in city council chambers at Yakima City Hall. The special meeting will be aired live on Y-PAC, Charter Cable channel 194, carried on the City’s Zoom feed, and live streamed on the City’s website;www.yakimawa.gov.
The pool of applicants started with 50 and that number was down to 7 semi-finalists earlier this month and now the final three have been named.
VICKI BAKER
*A press release from the city of Yakima says Vicki Baker became the Yakima Valley Conference of Governments deputy director in April 2021. Before that, Baker served as a Yakima County commissioner from January 2020 through November 2020. From 2006 to 2009, Baker operated Vicki Baker Public Relations in Yakima. Since 1999, Baker has owned and operated a Grocery Outlet store in Yakima.
MIKE GONZALEZ
*In 2023 Mike Gonzalez was appointed Franklin County administrator. Before that, he served as the economic development manager for the City of Pasco (2021-2023) and as the public relations/government affairs director for Franklin PUD (2020-2021). Gonzalez worked as a reporter and anchor for several TV stations from 2002 to 2020 in Missouri, Nebraska, Spokane, North Carolina, Kennewick, and Phoenix.
RICHARD MARSH JR.
*Richard Marsh has been the town manager in Wellton, Arizona since January 2022. Before that, he served as special aid to the mayor in River Rouge, Michigan (2021-2022), city administrator in Ecorse, Michigan (2017-2021), city manager in Bisbee, Arizona (2016-2017), city manager in Inskster, Michigan (2013-2016), city manager in Bangor, Michigan (2013), city administrator in Benton Harbor, Michigan (2008-2009), and assistant city manager, operations in Jackson, Michigan (2005-2008). Marsh was also the president of a private-sector consulting firm and has held leadership positions in community and economic development roles for two cities in Michigan.
THE CITY COUNCIL FIRED THE LAST CITY MANAGER IN JANUARY
In January of this year, the City Council fired Bob Harrison, who had served as Yakima city manager since September 2020. The City Council appointed Dave Zabell as interim city manager in January of 2024. He will continue to serve until the installation of a new city manager. Zabell did not apply for the city manager position.
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