Minden manager applicants cut to eight finalists

Two Douglas County employees are among eight finalists for the new job of Minden town manager.

Lisa Granahan, assistant to the Douglas County manager, and assistant county planner Dirk Goering are to be interviewed next week along with applicants from California, Texas, South Lake Tahoe and Reno.

All of the applicants listed experience in the public sector.

The salary range for the newly created position is $74,246-$99,756 plus benefits.

Granahan, who lives in Minden, said she has worked in local government for 25 years. She has been assistant to the county manager since May 2004.

She is a graduate of San Diego State University with a bachelor's degree in public administration. Granahan also served as interim manager for the Town of Genoa for more than a year.

Goering, of Gardnerville, has been with Douglas County since June 2006. He is a graduate of Drury University in Springfield, Mo., and graduate school at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

Before joining Douglas County, Goering worked for the Mid-American Regional Council in Kansas City as a transportation planner.

Other applicants to be interviewed next week include:

n Jeffrey Walters, Gardnerville, assistant public works director in Mono County. Walters formerly was vice president of mountain operations for Kirkwood Ski Resort for 10 years.

He is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno.

n John Greenhut, Minden, director of public works for City of South Lake Tahoe. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, with a bachelor's in psychology and University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with a master's in public administration.

He also worked for the cities of Gilroy and Sunnyvale in California.

n Jim Larson, finance director of King City, Calif. He is a graduate of the Ohio State University in business administration.

Larson's prior experience includes finance director in Chehalis, Wash., and assistant administrative services director in Edmonds, Wash.

n Dave Betley, Boulder City, manager of engineering, Clark County Department of Development Services.

Betley is a graduate of University of Las Vegas.

n Marie Gelles, San Antonio, Texas, former city manager, Cuero, Texas.

Gelles graduated from University of Nevada, Reno, with a master's in public administration.

On her resume, Gelles indicated she requested the city terminate her contract for the "best interest" of the city. She also served as chief administrative officer of Helotes, Texas, from September 2005 to March 2007 when she was let go.

On her application, Gelles said a new city council was in place in Helotes that wanted to change direction.

n Roger P. Van Alyne, Gardnerville, deputy director of Washoe County Public Works until his position was eliminated in June.

He is a graduate of University of Wyoming and went to work for Washoe County in July 2002. Prior to that, he worked for the Nevada Department of Transportation from August 1995 to June 2002.

The applicants, selected from 49 applications, are to be interviewed by a panel of two town board members, the human resources department and two town residents.

The top three candidates will undergo public interviews at the Minden Town Board meeting Jan. 6.

Officials hope to have the new manager at work in March or April.

With the departure of three veteran town board members at the end of next year, officials felt it was time to bring on a manager, similar to the function served by Gardnerville Town Manager Jim Park.