recruitment announcement
City Manager
1776 Mentor Ave | Cincinnati, Ohio 45212 | 513-221-0500
The PositionThe City Manager of Keene will have the
opportunity to serve one of the country’s
most distinctive destinations. Keene enjoys
the presence of three colleges, neighborhoods
sustaining a variety of lifestyles, a vibrant
downtown, unique businesses, excellent
schools, and a strong financial position.
The City has a history of an effective
government, stability in leadership, engaged
citizenry, and exceptional services.
The City Council appoints
the City Manager to serve
as the chief executive
officer of the City. Under
the Council/Manager form
of government adopted
by Keene, the City Council
establishes policies for operations within the
City, and it is the City Manager’s responsibility
to ensure these policies are carried out. In
general, the position supervises all property
and business affairs of the City, develops the
proposed operating and capital improvements
budgets, and oversees expenditure of all
funds appropriated for City purposes. The City
Manager is responsible for overseeing all City
staff and appointing all department directors
except the Library Director who is hired by the
Library Board of Trustees. The City Attorney
and City Clerk are City Council appointees.
The City Manager has three Assistant City
Managers who also function as department
directors – Assistant City Manager/
Administrative Services (Assessment, Finance,
Human Resources, Information Technology),
Assistant City Manager/Municipal Development
Services (Airport, Health and Code Enforcement,
Planning, Public Works), and Assistant City
Manager/Community Services (Fire, Human
Services, Library, Parks, Recreation and Facilities,
Police, Youth Services). The City has a workforce
of 285 regular full and part time employees
with approximately 195 employees represented
by six unions – including Keene Police Officers
Association, Keene Police Supervisors, Keene
Firefighters, Keene Fire Supervisors, Keene City
Employees, and AFSCME-Public Works.
The Governing BodyThe City has a 15-member Council and a Mayor.
Two Councilors represent each of the five wards
and five Councilors serve at-large, representing
the entire City. The Mayor serves as Chairman
and is the official head of the City for ceremonial
purposes. Each Councilor is assigned to one
of three Council Standing Committees which
are charged with hearing various issues and
providing recommendations to the full Council
for their consideration. The City engages the
community through many boards, commissions,
and standing, ad hoc, and special committees.
The OrganizationThe City Council adopts annually an operating
budget and a re-prioritized six-year Capital
Improvement Program (CIP). For FY17, adopted
operating appropriations totaled $63,285,740
with a General Fund budget of $31,273,255 net
capital and debt service, which is an increase of
approximately 1.67% from the FY 2016 adopted
budget. The City also has allocated $12,396,696
in 2017 for the first year of the CIP for capital
expenditures. The City enjoys an AA bond rating
by Standard & Poor’s rating agency.
The City is committed to planning for its
future as is illustrated through the adoption
of the 2010 Comprehensive Master Plan and
Community Vision. To achieve its vision, it has
been participating in numerous public/private
partnerships and community involvement on the
following initiatives.
• Development of a new courthouse
in downtown as an important
economic generator.
• Expansion of the bike and pedestrian
trails network that provides recreation
and social opportunities, as well as
important transportation alternatives.
• Construction of the Keene ICE
community ice arena.
• Redevelopment of downtown “railroad
land” and other Brownfield sites using
a variety of creative financing tools
including state and federal grants.
• Keene Public Library’s “Next Chapter”
project to renovate the Library
and Library Annex enhancing
services to the community.
RequirementsThe position requires a bachelor’s degree and
ten years’ progressively responsible experience
in a local government, including supervision
and executive level management (manager/
administrator, assistant manager/administrator,
or key department director) with community
engagement, redevelopment, and economic
development experience. Preferred qualifications
include a master’s degree in public administration
or a closely related field, experience growing
the tax base, effective business and community
engagement, strong intergovernmental and labor
relations, and a track record of public-private
partnerships to achieve community goals. An
ICMA-Credentialed Manager designation and
experience in a college or university community
are also preferred.
Residency is not required upon appointment to
the position, but residency within the City shall be
required within six months of the commencement
of employment.
City Manager – Keene, new Hampshire
The Ideal CandidateThe ideal candidate for Keene’s next City Manager
will be an ethical, experienced, local government
management professional who is passionate about
leading a collaborative, engaged staff team working
toward common goals with the City Council and the
community. He or she will be an effective listener and
communicator comfortable speaking with all audiences
and using a variety of tools to reach residents and
businesses. The City Manager will be an approachable
leader, with a track record of community engagement,
and skilled at building partnerships with government,
educational, private, and nonprofit organizations. The
ideal candidate will be a strong leader who can balance
conflicting interests and priorities and build consensus
with the Council and the community. He or she will
be a collaborative team leader, comfortable working
alongside staff to ensure the long-term success of the
City. The next City Manager will be a visionary who can
add fresh approaches to enhance Keene’s vision for the
future, help streamline current processes, and develop a
clear path for implementation of top priorities. The ideal
candidate will fit into a culture that is caring, progressive,
fiscally conservative, and focused on a sustainable
future. Keene’s next City Manager will have proven
economic development experience in attracting new
businesses, growing and supporting existing businesses,
working in partnership with K-12 and higher education
institutions, as well as nonprofits, and marketing the
community’s distinct attributes. The ideal candidate will
be energetic, personally invested in Keene, and active
and visible in the community.
The CommunityKeene, with 37.6 square miles, is located at the heart of
New England in the southwest corner of New Hampshire.
It is the hub of employment, business, industry, culture,
recreation, higher education, healthcare, social service,
and retail activity for the Monadnock Region. While its
residential population is 23,500, its estimated daytime
population increases significantly with visitors coming to
Keene to work, shop, eat, learn, and play.
The City is within a one- to three-hour drive from most
major New England cities including Concord, NH; Boston,
MA; Portland, ME; Providence, RI; Hartford, CT; and
Burlington, VT. Keene is connected to other major cities
via a well-maintained network of state routes and is
served by the Dillant Hopkins Airport, a general aviation
airport that serves corporate and commercial needs. The
City is also located 30 minutes from Amtrak’s Vermonter
rail line and one hour from the Manchester Boston
Regional Airport.
[email protected]/jobsquestions?apply online:
The expected hiring
range is $140,000–
155,000, depending
on qualifications, with
an excellent benefits
package.
Open until filled
with first review of
applications:
April 10, 2017.
Questions should be
directed to Catherine
Tuck Parrish at the
email address below
or 513-221-0500.
City Manager – Keene, new Hampshire
Applications will be accepted electronically by The Novak Consulting Group and will be kept confidential. Applicants first complete a brief online form and then are prompted to provide one document (Word or PDF) that has a cover letter, resume with salary history, and a list of 3-5 professional references. Open until filled with first review of applications April 10, 2017.
[email protected]/jobsquestions?apply online:
bringing solutions into focus
Keene is home to Cheshire Medical Center/
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene, a well-respected
hospital and large area employer. Jobs in
the health care and social assistance sector
constitute 18.4% of all jobs in the City, making it
the largest employment sector. The City’s other
top employers are Markem Imaje Corporation,
Timken Super Precision, Main Street America
Insurance Group, Liberty Mutual/Peerless
Insurance, Smiths Medical, Keene State College,
SAU 29 School District, C&S Wholesale Grocers,
Janos Technology, and the City of Keene.
The City boasts a variety of schools within its
limits. The local and regional public schools
consist of four elementary schools, a pre-
school, a middle school, a high school, a career
center, and a continuing education program.
Several private schools include the Monadnock
Waldorf School (nursery through high school),
the Monadnock Community Connections
School, Trinity Lutheran School, and St. Joseph’s
Regional School. Higher education institutions
include the Keene State College, Antioch
University New England, and River Valley
Community College.
From the eclectic mix of stores, boutiques,
and restaurants to the uniquely preserved
landmarks, downtown festivals and events,
and two live theaters, there is never a shortage
of things to do or see. Keene has great public
spaces and robust recreation assets. Residents
and visitors can enjoy its walkable historic
downtown, 27 miles of trails, over 2100 acres of
open space, and 16 city parks. The community
also places a high value on environmental
sustainability, health, wellness, and locally
sourced food and products.
The City of Keene has been recognized time
and again as a great place in which to live,
work, learn, and play. It is one of the “10 Great
Places to Raise a Family,” according to Parenting
Magazine’s tenth anniversary issue. Keene has
earned a number of honors including:
• Number 7 in “America’s Ten Fittest Small
Towns” by The Active Times in 2015.
• “Top Ten Most Beautiful Towns
in New Hampshire” from
TheCultureTrip.com in 2015.
• “Bicycle Friendly Community”
designation from the League of
American Bicyclists in 2015.
• “Honor Award” in 2014 for the former
railroad land development in downtown
from Plan New Hampshire as an example
of compact, mixed-use development.
• “Engineering Excellence Award” in
2013 for the Keene Micro-Turbine
Project, an engineering project that
epitomizes quality, innovation, value and
client satisfaction, from the American
Council of Engineering Companies.
• “Top Ten Great Public Spaces” in
2009 for Central Square from the
American Planning Association.
• Tied for tenth as “Best Small City in
the East” with ratings that include
climate, diversions, economics,
education, health care, housing,
safety, and transportation, in The
New Rating Guide to Life in America’s
Small Cities by Kevin Heubusch.
• Recognized by the White House as a
“Preserve America” community that
protects and celebrates its heritage,
uses it historic assets for economic
development and community
revitalization, and encourages people
to experience and appreciate local
historical resources through education
and heritage tourism programs.
Keene has a reputation for using new and
creative approaches to solving community
issues. From early decisions on placement of
the community meeting house and planting
elm trees in Central Square to addressing
contemporary issues like climate change and
sustainability, the community continues to be
recognized within the region, state, nation,
and throughout the world for its innovative,
practical solutions.
The 21st century has brought a strong
movement in Keene for sustainability, leading
the City to reduce carbon emissions, maintain
a healthy community, and foster the return of
local agriculture.
Applications will be accepted
electronically by The Novak Consulting
Group and will be kept confidential.
Applicants first complete a brief online
form and then are prompted to provide
one document (Word or PDF) that has a
cover letter, resume with salary history,
and a list of 3-5 professional references.
Open until filled with first review of
applications April 10, 2017.