A longtime city manager in Northern California and the Midwest has been hired to lead the City of Brookings. New City Manager Timothy Rundel, who brings more than 23 years of experience in public administration, community development and economic development, begins work in Brookings on July 22nd.
The Brookings City Council voted unanimously to hire Rundel during a special meeting June 13th. Rundel currently serves as the City Manager of Weed, California where he has worked since March 2020. Under his leadership, Weed recovered from a tragic fire that destroyed the sawmill that was the town’s largest employer, along with 60 homes. He was able to work with county, state and federal officials to get relief funds and rebuild the mill, saving numerous jobs. Rundel worked diligently with the Weed City Council to get Weed financially sound again and leaves the community with the largest reserve fund in its 100-plus year history.
Rundel was hired after a six-month nationwide search. More than 20 people applied for the position, many serving as city managers elsewhere. The council interviewed three very qualified and experienced candidates, and chose Rundel because of his strong track record of leadership, community involvement, and successful city management experience.
“It is an honor to be appointed as the next City Manager of Brookings,” Rundel said. “While living in Siskiyou County for the last 4 1/2 years, I have visited and dropped a lot of tourist dollars in Brookings. Every city manager has a ‘dream list’ of cities they would love to manage if given the opportunity. When I learned about the opening in Brook-ings via contact from a recruitment firm, I jumped at the opportunity. I feel that I can bring my over two decades of municipal management experience to the City of Brook-ings and make a significant impact working in unison with the council and city staff.”
Prior to working in Weed, located at the base of Mount Shasta in Siskiyou County, Rundel was the City Manager of Durant, Oklahoma from October 2016 to August 2019, and was the City Manager of Auburn, California from May 2014 to August 2016. He also was the assistant City Manager of Midwest City, Oklahoma from April 2007 to May 2014, and assistant City Manager of Yukon, Oklahoma from August 2001 to April 2007.
Rundel has a B.A. from Northwestern Oklahoma State University and graduated with a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma in 1998. He served for six years in the Air Force and Oklahoma Air National Guard where he was named “Air-man of the Year” in 1994. Tim was a finalist for City Manager of the Year in the state of Oklahoma in 2018. He has two adult children that live in Chicago and Oklahoma City.
“This is one of the biggest decisions a city council will ever make and I believe we made an excellent choice,” Mayor Isaac Hodges said. “While we had a number of qualified candidates, Mr. Rundel’s wealth of experience, leadership philosophy, and curious ap-proach to the needs of our city sold me. In addition, the current climate of governmen-tal affairs requires leadership that does not shy away from difficult issues, and Mr. Run-del has proven to be a man of integrity and tenacity. I am excited to see the positive ef-fect Mr. Rundel will bring to our city.”
During the interview process, Rundel said he considered Brookings a dream job. He has vacationed in Brookings a dozen times and “fell in love with the beauty and prime of the community and City of Brookings.”
Brookings City Council members said they were pleased there were so many qualified applicants, and are excited about Rundel’s experience and ideas for running a city gov-ernment. “Our community was extremely blessed to have many quality candidates ap-ply,” said Councilor Phoebe Pereda. “All the finalists interviewed exceedingly well, which made it a difficult decision for the council. Tim Rundell is exceptionally qualified and brings a vast amount of experience, skills, and abilities to our city. I am looking forward to working with Mr. Rundell and hold tremendous anticipation for the positive impact we can have in our community. I have great hopes for our city’s future!”
Councilor Kristi Fulton said Rundel is an ideal fit for the city and community. “Mr. Run-del comes to us as a well-qualified City Manager,” Fulton said. “He shared that his lead-ership style is that of a Servant’s Heart, so he will keep an overall sense of serving, ap-preciating, care for and valuing the council, city staff, and citizens of Brookings. The council is excited to bring forward someone like Mr. Rundel, who will bring in fresh ide-as, is geared toward innovation, is tourism-driven, and is focused on serving and en-gagement. He wants to continue to create a safe, prosperous, well-cared for Brookings for future generations to enjoy.”
Councilor Clayton Malmberg said an extensive search led to numerous candidates and allowed the council to choose a highly experienced city manager. “The City worked pro-actively in hiring recruitment assistance to cast a wide net in attracting quality candi-dates,” Malmberg said. “This effort paid off as we received several highly qualified can-didates. It was a difficult choice, but I am confident we have the best person for the job.”
Councilor Andy Martin said Rundel brings experiences and expertise that will benefit Brookings. “Weed is similar to Brookings, with timber and wood products still a signifi-cant part of the economy, along with tourism,” Martin said. “Our new City Manager has been effective in leading cities through tragedies and immense challenges, and has a leadership style that will position Brookings to prosper. Tim is an effective leader and manager, and his vision for Brookings will help maintain the quality of life of local resi-dents, will be supportive of local business, and will maintain a positive work environ-ment at city hall. Tim is an ideal fit for the City of Brookings.”
Brookings Police Chief Kelby McCrae filled in as interim City Manager and will return full time to his public safety duties overseeing the police and fire departments. “Chief McCrae and the department directors did an excellent job navigating the City through this transition period,” Martin said. “Tim will be able to hit the ground running with an experienced, effective leadership team, and the City staff will benefit from having a new City Manager with such an impressive resume in leading similar-size communities.”
Most Popular
Comments / 0