Search for new city manager is underway

After five years at the helm of the city, City Manager Glenn Steckman will depart Nome on September 1, leaving large shoes to fill as the city moves forward with projects like the Deep Draft Port expansion, finalizing the Nome Police Department’s accreditation and getting housing developments for teachers and police officers underway.
Now that the search is on, the Nugget sat down with Mayor John Handeland to learn about the process for hiring the next city manager.
In the immediate future, an acting city manager will be appointed, likely City Clerk Dan Grimmer, until an interim is available, Handeland said.
The interim city manager is selected by Handeland and approved by the Nome Common Council. The City is working with Alaska Municipal League to find a temporary replacement, ideally from the state and  familiar with Nome and the current operations.
“We’re not looking for just somebody to warm the seat in the process,” Handeland said. “We’d like to have somebody that can pick up some of the things Glenn has been working on.”
The next steps for hiring the interim will be to discuss the selection with the Nome Common Council at their next meeting on Monday and to disclose the choice to city staff.  
Throughout this process the search for a permanent city manager continues.
The city is engaging in a different process than previous city manager hires by using an outside recruitment firm or “headhunters”, Handeland said. This firm will assess the needs of the city and conduct a nationwide search for qualified, experienced candidates and provide that list to the Nome Common Council. Then, together with the mayor, the pool will be vetted, interviews will be conducted, and the next city manager will be chosen and approved. All of this could take at least 90 days, Handeland said, but he’s hoping to have it done sooner.

Appreciation
Handeland was sure to mention the hard work Steckman has put in over the last five years, working six sometimes seven days a week, tackling major city issues and interacting with the community while still maintaining strong relationships with his direct employees. From a pandemic to the damage done by ex-Typhoon Merbok, Handeland said Steckman kept Nome on an “even keel” throughout it all.
“Whenever anybody leaves, they can be replaced, but with that departure you lose a lot of momentum. Sometimes you lose history and interrelationships that then need to be developed with another party,” Handeland said.
Front Street revitalization and Police Department accreditation are just some of Steckman’s initiatives Handeland doesn’t want to lose steam on. He also noted understanding the city’s relationship with events like Iditarod, Iron Dog and the upcoming Serum Run Centennial is essential to the role of city manager.
Steckman’s departure comes at a time when key positions at the city need to be filled: the Port Director position still needs to be filled; a project manager for the port expansion needs to be found after longtime port employee Joy Baker retired, and a new position is being advertised for Assistant City Manager/Economic Development Coordinator. This role will aid the city manager and is intended to be filled after the new manager is hired so he or she can select the candidate.