MMMoving on?
During much of the past year, the Town of Mammoth Lakes, which has been beset by a series of fiscal challenges, has been utilizing the services of two managers to help control the chaos. Town Manager Dave Wilbrecht, who was hired to replace Rob Clark, has been managing staff and logistical operations while Marianna Marysheva-Martinez, aka “Triple M,” who filled in as Town Manager prior to Wilbrecht’s hiring, has stayed on to help wrangle the Town’s budget and take the lead on the Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition litigation.
Mammoth hired Triple M, whose current job title is Assistant Town Manager, on Feb. 23, 2011. Her contract ran out in July of last year, but had a month-to-month clause, which allowed extension of her services. Last week KIMA-TV in Yakima, Wash., reported that, out of an initial pool of 40 applicants, the Yakima City Council has selected 4 finalists to participate in a round of interviews later this month to determine who could potentially be that municipality’s next City Manager.
Triple M is in the Final Four.
Will MMM stay or move on? The simple answer is maybe
“I’m humbled when people recognize my qualifications, but I know what those are, having succeeded in challenging, complex organizations, such as in Oakland and working with [former Mayor and now state Governor] Jerry Brown,” Marysheva-Martinez told The Sheet.
“My husband has a saying that on a good day I did the work of three people, and on a bad day I did the work of two people, so I’m used to getting a lot done,” she quipped. “I’m a quick thinker, and I think the Town recognizes that. We achieved a balanced budget, and other important things got done for the Town that have all moved very quickly.”
On that note, MMM said she’s really quite happy in Mammoth. “This is the best organization I’ve ever worked within,” she said. “Nothing against any other towns, but it’s true. We have a wonderful Council, Dave Wilbrecht is the best, and I work with a terrific staff. I applied in Yakima several months ago, but if there’s a way to stay here I will. That would be my first choice, even over Yakima.”
In addition to her tenure as Assistant City Manager in Oakland, Calif., she was also an Assistant City Manager in Lynwood, Calif.
For the Yakima job she is up against Paul Schmidt, with city administrator experience in Oak Harbor and Cheney, Wash., and City Supervisor experience in Clarkston, Wash., Thomas Steele, who recently served as City Manager in West Jordan, Utah, and Woodland Park, Colo., as well as Assistant City Manager in Walla Walla, Wash., and Steve Worthington – who most recently served as City Manager and as Community Development Director in Fife, Wash.
“The City Council is pleased with both the total number of applicants we got for the City Manager position, and the strong group of finalists we have,” Yakima Mayor Micah Cawley commented in a media statement. “We are looking forward to meeting the 4 finalists in person and learning more about what they think they can bring to the Yakima community.”
Marysheva-Martinez said there is still a lot of work she would like to get done, not the least of which is settling the MLLA judgment. “I’m not sure how I’m going to get everything done here that needs to be done, and what I’m going to do if I receive an offer from Yakima.”
The finalists are scheduled to be interviewed on Thursday, April 26. The following day, on Friday, April 27, individual Council members will meet with each of the finalists for half-hour personal interviews. Sometime following the 2-day interview process, the City Council will decide whether or not it will offer the city manager job.
