Kalispell’s city manager search committee has trimmed 44 applicants down to three finalists who will be invited for job interviews in late March.

Mayor Tammi Fisher appointed the committee to screen city manager applicants after the resignation of former city manager Jane Howington in early January.

Working with the human resources department, the city manager search committee — made up of Dennis Beams, Lex Blood, Patti Gregerson, Tom Jentz, Jayson Peters and council member Kari Gabriel — conducted a national search for candidates. 

The committee evaluated applicants and then conducted phone interviews and background checks to choose the three finalists announced Monday:

• Doug Russell, of Yankton, S.D., city manager there since 2008. Russell has more than eight years of experience as a city manager in three cities. He holds a degree in psychology from Montana State University and an Master’s of Public Administration from University of Colorado.

• Tom Steele, of Pleasant Grove, Utah, who most recently was the city manager of West Jordan, Utah, from Feb. 2009 to March 2011. Steele has more than 29 years of experience as a city manager and assistant city manager for several cities. He has a degree in political science and a Master’s of Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach.

• John Sutherland, Jr., of Santa Fe, N.M., who most recently was the county manager for Luna County, N.M., from May 2009 to July 2011. Sutherland has more than nine years of experience as a city and county manager and division manager of a Native American government. He has a degree in accounting from Marycrest College and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Iowa.

A fourth finalist withdrew from consideration because of a family emergency.

The city manager search committee has invited the finalists to tour Kalispell and meet with city staffers on Thursday, March 29.

A community reception will be held that same evening for the public to meet the finalists. No time or location has been set.

“All three of them have really nice qualifications and seem to look great on paper and interviewed well, so we’re looking forward to meeting them,” council member Kari Gabriel said, thanking other committee members for their volunteer work.

Mayor Fisher and Kalispell City Council will interview the finalists the following morning, Friday, March 30, at Kalispell City Hall. 

Those interviews will be open to the public. Interview times will be announced later.

After the interviews, Kalispell City Council members will deliberate in executive session to decide if they want to offer the city manager job to one of the finalists.

If the job is offered, council members will direct Fisher and Interim City Manager Charles Harball to negotiate a contract.

Kalispell advertised the city manager position offering a salary of $95,000 to $125,000 depending on qualifications.

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.