Loveland launches search to fill city manager position

LOVELAND — A nationwide search to attract the next Loveland city manager has launched with Thursday’s publication of public-facing recruitment materials Thursday.

Acting city manager Brian Waldes will remain in that position until a permanent replacement is hired.

Loveland’s City Council appointed Waldes acting city manager in May, assigning him to work with retiring city manager James Thompson to manage the transition leading up to Thompson’s departure on July 7.

Waldes, who had been the city’s chief financial officer, also was given the role of deputy city manager along with Rod Wensing during a reorganization of municipal departments earlier this year. 

City officials are working with local government executive recruitment firm SGR to recruit candidates for the position. The city manager is hired by the City Council to serve as the executive leader of the organization.

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply online at go.lovgov.org/loveland-cmo-recruit by Nov. 29.

“We appreciate City Council’s leadership in launching the search for Loveland’s next city manager, and are excited to begin this process with SGR,” Julia Holland, acting deputy city manager and chief human resources officer, said in a prepared statement. “Our shared goal is to recruit an exceptional leader who will provide steady leadership that will direct our organization well into the future.”

Similar to the 2024 city manager recruitment process, the City of Loveland will provide regular updates and an opportunity to provide public input during a candidate meet-and-greet session once candidates are identified.

As described in the recruitment brochure, “The ideal candidate is a proven, values-based executive with a demonstrated record of strengthening complex public organizations and delivering measurable results. They will have led organizations through change, brought departments together around shared goals, and built a culture where talented employees choose to stay and grow. Ethical, courageous, and politically objective, they exercise sound, strategic judgment and are invested in Loveland for the long term.”

The brochure outlines such key initiatives as planning for long-term financial sustainability, developing community trust and transparency, strengthening its City Council partnership, building collaboration across departments, and building organizational stability and succession planning. 

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