Crested Butte council seeks new manager

Parker resigns, Gillie filling in

The town of Crested Butte is looking for a new town manager. Susan Parker resigned Monday morning, December 3 and the Town Council officially accepted her resignation at that night’s council meeting. The council appointed Crested Butte building and zoning director Bob Gillie as acting town manager.

“It is with both appreciation and regret that we accept Susan’s resignation,” Mayor Aaron Huckstep commented. “We are very thankful for Susan’s years of service in Crested Butte, and the contributions she has made to our local community.”
Parker did not attend the December 3 council meeting.
“I appreciate your confidence,” Gillie told the council after being appointed to fill in as the top management official in town. “We have a great town staff and we’ll soldier on and move forward.”
The council too will soldier on and the next battle is a special meeting on December 10 to officially appoint a human resources subcommittee and outline a specific transition plan until a new town manager is hired. It is expected that the subcommittee will be comprised of the town’s human resource director Lois Rozman, Mayor Huckstep and Councilperson Shaun Matusewicz.
No specific timeline is in place to hire a permanent town manager but Huckstep said he expects a new manager to be hired by spring if not before. How to advertise for a replacement has not been decided but will be part of the December 10 meeting discussion and led by the new subcommittee.
“I think the council is comfortable acknowledging that Crested Butte is not a typical, run of the mill town,” said Huckstep. “We can’t just pick someone up because they look like a great town manager on paper and then place them here and think they will be successful. We have to look at all angles.”
In a letter to the public, Parker said she was proud of completing some big projects during a time of limited resources in the last six and a half years. She cited the completion of Rainbow Park, the relocation of the Tommy V baseball field and the new roof over Big Mine Ice Arena as some of her most rewarding accomplishments.
Parker took the job of town manager in June 2006. A press release from Huckstep pointed out, “During her tenure, Ms. Parker helped improve the Town’s park system, improved the look of Elk Avenue, worked to accomplish the Kochevar Open Space purchase, and saw significant improvements to the Big Mine Park Ice Arena.”
Specific severance details were not decided but Parker’s house is owned by the town and has a lease that gives the resident at least 45 days before being asked to vacate.
Huckstep said the council has complete confidence in the town staff to keep the town running smoothly. “The Town Council will work closely with town staff to ensure that the level of service our citizens have come to expect will continue while we search for a new town manager,” Huckstep’s release states. “We are confident that the procedures we have put in place will guide the council to select a well qualified town manager who can lead our town into the future.”