Ben Dahlman recalls a picture of himself as a young child lining up his toy cars by size.

“I’ve always liked numbers and I’ve always like organizing things,” he said. “I think finance is organizing numbers so there is a bit of a relationship there.”

Dahlman has parlayed that interest into a career in government finance. He recently took over as Whitefish’s finance director, replacing current City Manager Dana Smith in the role.

He joins the city in the midst of the budget season, as Council begins its budget deliberations for the next fiscal year, but he says while it’s a busy time in the finance department that’s also the best time to learn the inner-workings.

“Budgeting is always something I’ve enjoyed,” he said. “It’s not all that different from what I’m used to, but I’m learning about the new funds here and the accounting systems. I like having the need to learn quickly and for the whole next year I will know better what to expect.”

Dahlman most recently was the finance director for Adams County in Colorado. He worked for the county, which has a population of about 440,000, for 21 years in various roles with its finance department.

He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Denver and a master’s degree in finance and accounting from Regis University, and has earned certification with the Government Finance Officers Association.

Dahlman said in making the switch from county to municipal finance there are some differences, but it still falls within his interest of working in government.

“What I like about government finance and budgeting is you get to be a part of a lot of different activities,” he said. “I’ve worked in both private sector and government, and where government finance is different is that we do a lot of different things for people. Government does way more than just one thing for its citizens.”

In finding his new job in Whitefish, Dahlman had previously set a goal to live in a mountain ski town when he found the listing for the position. He notes he’s also a national parks fan, so that was a bonus moving to Montana.