Council picks Smith as new City Manager
HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 6 months AGO
Whitefish City Hall at the corner of East Second Street and Baker Avenue. (Heidi Desch file photo/Whitefish Pilot)
Heidi Desch is features editor and covers Flathead County for the Daily Inter Lake. She previously served as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, spending 10 years at the newspaper and earning honors as best weekly newspaper in Montana. She was a reporter for the Hungry Horse News and has served as interim editor for The Western News and Bigfork Eagle. She is a graduate of the University of Montana. She can be reached at hdesch@dailyinterlake.com or 406-758-4421. | December 3, 2019 1:35 PM
Whitefish City Council on Monday approved Dana Smith as the new City Manager.
Council unanimously approved an employment contract for Smith to fill the city’s top executive position.
Smith since September has been serving in the role of interim City Manager and prior to that was the Assistant City Manager and Finance Director for the city.
After signing her contract during the meeting, Smith thanked City Council and the city’s department directors for their support.
“I enjoy Whitefish and I love seeing this community grow,” she said. “And working together I see a bright future for us. It’s an honor to serve as the next City Manager.”
She joined the city in July 2014 as Finance Director, previously working as an auditor in the private sector. In August 2018, she was promoted to the dual role of Assistant City Manager and Finance Director.
Council began the search for a new city manager after former City Manager Adam Hammatt resigned from the position on Sept. 6, after serving more than two years in the job.
The position was opened in November to applicants within the city, and the interview committee recommended Smith for the position.
The base salary for the position is $140,000 per year.
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