The city of Newport officially welcomed Nina Vetter as its new city manager on July 9. She was unanimously voted by city council on April 19 to succeed Spencer Nebel, who recently retired after serving more than 10 years as city manager. Vetter comes to Newport with over 15 years of government service, most recently as city manager for Gresham from 2021-23. She is the first woman to hold the city manager position for Newport.
“Newport is a vibrant city with a rich history and a diverse, supportive community, and I am excited to help lead the city into its future,” Vetter said. “I look forward to working alongside a great team of city department leaders, elected officials and community members to continue to strengthen and grow Newport together.”
Vetter will play a key role in leading the city in its short and long-term goals and projects, including the Big Creek Dam Project, Save our Supply, which will replace the city’s earthen dams to sustain seismic activity and create storage potential to provide for healthier environmental flows and support Newport’s future water supply needs. She will also oversee the city’s 15-year plan to provide upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant that will significantly improve infrastructure and capacity within the city’s current water system, along with a number of urban renewal projects.
Vetter has earned a reputation throughout her career as a leader that is collaborative and communicative, bringing multiple communities together to achieve common goals. As Gresham’s city manager, she established and fostered a number of regional and community partnerships, which positioned the city to be awarded over $15 million in federal, state and county grant funds during her tenure. These funds were crucial to Gresham’s infrastructure and goals for future growth, and it included funding for transportation projects and the Youth Violence Prevention Program.
Vetter played a key role in the development of Gresham’s first long-term strategic plan and financial roadmap and expanded the city’s public safety efforts through Safe Gresham, a community violence prevention collaboration between city leaders, Gresham police and the community. She also invested in fire station safety improvements and additional safety personnel through American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Prior to her work in Gresham, Vetter served in Colorado at the city of Colorado Springs from 2013-18, and then at the Pueblo West Metropolitan District from 2019-21. In Colorado Springs, she worked alongside community members to lead major economic development projects to improve growing areas of the city, such as the Renew North Nevada Avenue Initiative and Façade Improvement Program, and she partnered with neighborhood associations to launch a Citizen’s Academy and Youth Ambassador Program, which promoted youth community partnerships and teen engagement throughout the city. In Pueblo West, she assisted the district in leadership and communications roles through the COVID-19 health crisis and two local emergencies.
Vetter also brings a wealth of experience in international development, working from 2011-13 for the U.S. Agency for International Development, a federal agency that administers civilian foreign aid and development assistance. She managed the operating expense budgets for the countries of Azerbaijan and Georgia.
A native of Connecticut, Vetter earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from George Washington University and subsequently a master’s degree in Public Administration from Northern Illinois University. She serves as a committee member on a number of organizations dedicated to the improvement and growth of communities, including the International City/County Management Association, the Oregon City/County Management Association and the Northwest Women’s Leadership Academy.
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