Jim Smith Named Edmond’s Assistant City Manager of Operations
Issued: March 08, 2010
City Manager Larry Stevens announced today that Jim Smith has been hired as Edmond’s Assistant City Manager of Operations. Smith, who has served as the Director of Public Works for the City of Lancaster, Texas (population 36,220) since 2003, will begin work on Monday, March 29.
“We are very pleased to welcome Jim to our City of Edmond team. His hiring is the culmination of a professional local government recruitment and evaluation process for one of the top management positions in our organization,” said Stevens. “Both the people in our organization and in our community will enjoy working with Jim, as he has the outstanding people skills, municipal experience and expertise to provide the leadership required for this critical position.”
He said that having friends and family in the Edmond and Oklahoma City area, he was aware that Edmond is a quality community in which to live and raise a family and the citizens are very friendly and genuine. “I was very impressed with the quality staff and their commitment to provide excellent customer service along with their drive to be a leading community within the region.”
After touring the Edmond facilities, Smith said it became apparent that the City of Edmond was invested in innovative programs and facilities to benefit the community and to create cooperative opportunities to partner with other cities within the region.
As Assistant City Manager, Smith will earn a salary of $122,167 and will oversee Public Works, Emergency Management, Water Resources, Engineering, Edmond Electric, Planning and Zoning, Public Transit, Utility Customer Service, Building Services and major capital improvement projects.
“I look forward to serving as a member of Edmond’s professional and dedicated team with the common goal of providing trustworthy service through continuous improvement,” said Smith.
Smith is a registered professional engineer with a BS in Civil Engineering and Petroleum Engineering from Louisiana State University. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Public Works Association.
Smith is married with three sons, ages 13, 9 and 6.
Smith was one of 167 applicants for the position. Smith replaces Jerry Smith who retired last December after 22 years with the City of Edmond.
Stevens said the City is anxious to get him on board, as he is the “fit” we wanted. “This is another example of our focus on hiring for attitude first, and then skill in the City of Edmond. Jim Smith is a great addition to our staff.”
