Forty-three people applied for Fruita’s city manager position, and Cortez City Manager Drew Sanders is one of four finalists.
“I do want to be clear with the community that he is not being pushed out nor does he want to necessarily leave,” said Cortez Mayor Rachel Medina. “He loves Cortez.”
Medina said that Fruita “would be a good place for him and his family, especially for his wife’s work, so he’s jumping at the opportunity.”
Since 2021, Sanders has been in his position as Cortez city manager. Before that, he was chief of police at the department in Page, Arizona, from 2019 to 2021.
There’s a meet-and-greet event at the Fruita Community Center on Thursday, Jan. 9, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. for people to meet the candidates and offer feedback to the Fruita City Council, as the council makes the hiring decision, according to a news release.
“The position is extremely competitive right now, so there’s no guarantee that Drew will get it,” said Medina. “But I do think he would do a fantastic job no matter where he goes.”
The other three finalists are:
- Jay Harrington, county manager for Routt County, Colorado, since 2021.
- Keith Rinehart, director of Community and Economic Development for Saginaw, Texas, since 2020.
- Shannon Vassen, who serves as Fruita’s interim city manager now, and was the city’s assistant city manager since 2023.
