Doug Gerber, a long-time municipal government administrator with Kansas roots, is Shawnee’s new city manager.
Gerber, whose hiring was approved in February by an unanimous city council vote, was formally sworn in last week.
What does a city manager do?
• In the city manager and city council-style government most Johnson County cities use, the city manager manages the day-to-day business at the direction of the city council.
• A city manager, as ordered by Shawnee’s city code, is responsible for the enforcement of city codes, and each department reports to them.
• The city manager is also in charge of hiring decisions for director-level positions and other roles in the city administration in accordance with the budget.
• One of the primary roles is to put up a budget each year that the city council considers.
Gerber says he has a “passion” for local government
His path to becoming a city manager wasn’t always a clear one. As a junior at Kansas State University, he was a chemistry major. Each day, he went to labs, and Gerber found he actually hated it.
On a whim, he decided to take an introduction to public administration course, discovering a new path.
He eventually graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science and French before earning a master’s in public administration.
“My passion is municipal management,” Gerber said. “I believe in the power of local government to make communities better, and it’s the government closest to the people. We’re working for our friends and neighbors and people we see at the grocery store and people we go to church with and those things matter.”
Gerber has experience in city management
- As a graduate student, Gerber worked for the city of Manhattan before moving to Kent, Michigan, for an internship.
- He later worked as the city manager in Beloit, Kan., for about a decade, then spent five years in the same position in Goodland, Kansas.
- Eventually, he moved to Topeka, serving a number of roles in city government over the course of six-and-a-half years there, including stints as finance director, interim public works director, deputy city manager and interim city manager.
- During the pandemic-era revenue challenges, Gerber said his role in the Topeka city government was eliminated, ultimately landing him in the private sector working at JEO Consulting for about two years.
- He said he always had plans to make the jump back into city management.
- Earlier this year, Gerber was also named a finalist for a city manager job in Glenwood, Springs, Colorado.
Gerber thinks Shawnee is the right fit
Shawnee met a number of his criteria, Gerber said, which ultimately led him to pursue the job.
For one thing, he said Shawnee has a reputation as a well-run city with good finances. It’s also the right size for him.
“It’s a large enough city to be interesting,” he said, “but it’s also small enough where you can know people and really make a difference.”
So far, Gerber said he’s spent a lot of time learning about Shawnee.
He expects to pass the next few months in conversations with local stakeholders and spending time in the community.
Shawnee city staff has seen recent changes
For now, he isn’t quite sure what the future will look like for the city, but Gerber said he didn’t come in with a set vision.
“I think there’s a lot of positives going in Shawnee, and I think just the ability to capitalize on those will help us meet whatever challenges we might have,” he said. “Ultimately, my priorities will be what the governing body’s priorities are.”
He does, however, expect to see Shawnee “continue to grow and prosper in the right way.” By that Gerber says he means “deliberate” growth in a way that makes sense for Shawnee.
Though there have been some big changes in the city’s professional staff with some notable departures — including his predecessor Nolan Sunderman, who left in November, citing a “separate vision” from the city council — Gerber said he thinks the city has the group to get the job done.
Who is Gerber outside of Shawnee City Hall?
- Gerber plans to move to Shawnee sometime in the next 12 months as part of his contract terms, but his family currently resides just outside of Silver Lake in Shawnee County, near Topeka, where he runs a small cow and calf operation.
- Gerber is a big fan of college athletics, with a slant toward his alma mater, K-State.
- Additionally, he likes to watch his six kids be successful in their activities and endeavors, he said.
- Now that he’s setting down roots in the Kansas City area, he’s also looking forward to sitting down for his first in-person Sporting KC game at Children’s Mercy Park.
Keep reading: Here’s what’s in new Shawnee city manager’s contract
