By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The deputy city manager for Topeka, a city administrator from South Dakota, a public works director from Florida, and a city manager from Texas are the four finalists for St. Joseph City Manager.
City officials have released the identities of the four finalists for the position left vacant when City Manager Bruce Woody left the city to become the Executive Director of the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority of Pensacola, Florida.
Doug Gerber is Deputy City Manager of Topeka, Kansas and has served in city administration in several Kansas communities, including Goodland and Beloit. Gerber has an undergraduate and graduate degree from Kansas State University.
Gerber served as Goodland city manager from 2009 to 2014.
Jeff Pederson is Flandreau, South Dakota City Administrator and has worked as Paducah, Kentucky City Manager and as city administrator of Grand Island, Nebraska. He received both an undergraduate and graduate degree from the University of South Dakota.
Thomas Hutka is the Director of Public Works from Broward County, Florida. He has served as city manager of Port Huron, Michigan and Commissioner of Engineering and Construction of Cleveland, Ohio. Hutka has a civil engineering degree from Princeton and a graduate degree from Harvard.
Gary Edwards is City Manager of Aransas Pass, Texas, but has worked extensively in Missouri, including stints as Sedalia City Administrator and Moberly City Manager. He received an under graduate degree from College of the Ozarks at Point Lookout, Missouri and a graduate degree from Missouri State University.
The candidates will participate in a day-long interview process Friday, first speaking with a community panel, then a staff panel, followed by a discussion with Interim City Manager Chris Connally. City Council members will interview the candidates in the afternoon.