Fort Collins selects DiMartino to permanent city manager role

FORT COLLINS — The Fort Collins City Council has named long-time city staffer Kelly DiMartino to the role of city manager.

DiMartino had been serving as interim city manager after the resignation of Darin Atteberry in the summer of 2021. Atteberry, who earned $278,475 with the city, left after 25 years to assume a leadership role with Elevations Credit Union in Northern Colorado.

DiMartino, Atteberry’s top lieutenant, was named interim; she also applied for the permanent role and after a national search was named one of five finalists for the spot. 

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In March, as the council approached its decision, it put the process on hold for three months saying in a public statement that it was trying to get its bearings after numerous years with a long-time manager and after COVID-19 disrupted city and community operations. Other finalists withdrew.

This week, the council was scheduled to conduct a performance evaluation of DiMartino and also consider in executive session next steps to finding a permanent manager. It came out of that executive session with a motion, offered by council member Kelly Ohlson, to appoint DiMartino to the permanent role, pending successful contract negotiations.

He commended DiMartino for her “competent and admirable job in the interim role, which is not an easy one,” and said she is “hard working, compassionate and pragmatic.”

“She understands the line between managing and governing,” Ohlson said.

The council voted 7-0 in favor of appointing DiMartino, and selected Mayor Jeni Arndt and Mayor-pro-tem Emily Francis to negotiate a contract with DiMartino.

DiMartino, who has worked in numerous positions with the city for 25 years, said she appreciated the council’s confidence.

DiMartino told BizWest that her priorities remain the same as they were when she was interim manager. 

“I would share that when the council paused the process, it encouraged me to continue to act as if I were the permanent city manager,” she said. “We’ll continue the progress that we’re making on delivering on the council’s priorities and on stabilizing leadership in the city,” she said, referencing the departure over the past several months of multiple department leaders.

Prior to coming to Fort Collins, DiMartino was the public information officer for Grand Island, Nebraska. She has a bachelor’s degree from Hastings College and a master’s degree from Colorado State University, both in business administration.