The Avondale City Council is scheduled to vote May 21 to make Charles Montoya the City of Avondale’s new city manager.
Montoya is currently city manager of Watsonville, Calif. He will start work with Avondale at the end of July, filling the vacancy created when former city manager David Fitzhugh retired on February 8, following 17 years of service with the city, the last four as city manager. Cynthia Seelhammer currently serves as interim city manager.
The Avondale City Council used a process to select a new city manager that included a nationwide search, and a thorough interview process for the four finalists. City residents and employees were invited to participate in the evaluation process.
“Over the past two decades, Avondale has been fortunate to have strong and steady leadership to guide our city through tremendous growth as well as the economic downturn,” said Avondale Mayor Kenn Weise. “These are exciting times for Avondale, with many new economic developments on the horizon. Our city staff are dedicated and committed to making lives better for the residents of Avondale, and we have a community that’s engaged and supportive. The City Council and I look forward to Charles Montoya joining our organization to continue steering our city in the right direction.”
“I would like to thank the Avondale City Council, staff and community for the opportunity to be the next city manager of Avondale,” said Montoya. “I look forward to the future, the people, and the possibilities.”
Montoya has been City Manager of Watsonville for the past three years. Previously, he served more than two years as town manager at the Town of Florence, AZ, and was the Finance Director/Treasurer for the Town of Castle Rock in Colorado. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from New Mexico State University and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from the University of New Mexico.
The city manager acts as the CEO of the city, executing the policy goals set by the City Council, overseeing all daily operations, representing the city to other governments, and performing other executive duties as outlined in the city charter. The city manager serves at the pleasure of the Council.
