By Derek Kutzer | Staff Writer
At its July 20 meeting, the Pagosa Springs Town Council approved Gregory Schulte as finalist for the interim town manager position, directing the search committee to negotiate and bring an employment agreement to its Aug. 1 meeting for approval.
The search for an interim town manager comes after current Town Manager Andrea Phillips informed the council that she would not be seeking a renewal of her employment contract and that her last day in the position would be Aug. 4.
At its June 22 meeting, the council reached a consensus that Mayor Shari Pierce should contact Schulte to see if he would be interested in the position while the council conducts its search to fill the more permanent town manager position.
Pierce and Mayor Pro-tem Matt DeGuise formed a search committee and the position was posted, both internally and externally, for recruitment, where the town received a total of seven applications, including Schulte’s, according to agenda documentation on the matter.
At the meeting, Administrative Services Manager Kathy Harker said, “It was determined that Mr. Schulte’s experience with municipal and county government, as well as his experience with the Town of Pagosa Springs specifically, make him a very good candidate for this role.”
Schulte previously served as Pagosa Springs town manager.
In his application letter, Schulte states, “I feel I am uniquely qualified for the interim position having served as the Town Manager of Pagosa Springs for the immediate 3 years prior to Andrea being hired in August 2017.”
He brings to the table “over 35 years of relevant experience, both in California and Colorado,” stating that he served as “the Archuleta County Administrator from 2008 to 2012 and again as Interim County Administrator in 2018/2019, during the time they were recruiting for a new Administrator after Bentley Henderson’s departure.”
He also lists relevant experience he can bring to the position such as his service on the elected Upper San Juan Health Service District Board of Directors and with Pagosa Springs Urban Renewal Authority.
Schulte retired from the town in 2017, his letter states, and since retirement was recruited “to serve as a volunteer Senior Advisor for the Colorado City County Management Association (CCCMA) and the International City County Management Association (ICMA).”
Schulte states that he’s only one of seven senior advisors in the state of Colorado to be selected for these senior advisor positions.
“Senior Advisors are selected for their breadth and depth of experience and dedication to the profession of city and county management. Only the most respected retired managers are selected as Senior Advisors, as they are trusted to provide advice and guidance to existing managers as well as mentoring the new generation of managers,” he states in the letter.
After Harker’s brief presentation, council member Madeline Bergon made a motion to approve Schulte as the finalist for the position and to direct the hiring committee to draft an employment agreement to be brought back before the council.
The motion was carried unanimously.
derek@pagosasun.com
