Topeka City Manager finalists announced
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The City of Topeka’s Governing Body has selected four candidates to interview for the Topeka City Manager position.
Mike Harmon, David Johnston, Stephen Wade, and Abbe Yacoben will each participate in two interview panels on Tuesday, August 30th. One interview panel will be with community stakeholders.
Mike Harmon is currently the chief operating officer for an electric utility company in Wyoming. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Northern Iowa and later earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of South Dakota with a concentration in state and local government. Harmon has also served as a police officer in Pierre, South Dakota.
David Johnston has over 25 years of local government management experience. He has served as the City Manager for Covington, Kentucky, and Maple Valley, Washington. Johnston earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Public Affairs degree from Indiana University. He also earned a certificate of economic development from the University of Oklahoma.
Stephen Wade is a Shawnee Heights graduate and a Topeka resident. He currently serves as the Director of Administrative and Financial Services for the City of Topeka. He has spent 30 years in the media industry and also has experience at the CEO level. He was formerly the publisher of the Topeka Capitol-Journal. Wade holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Kansas and a Masters in Business Administration from the Florida Institute of Technology. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Topeka Community Foundation.
Abbe Yacoben is currently the Deputy Finance Director and City Treasurer for the City of Las Vegas, Nevada where she has served for the past five and a half years. She has nearly 20 years of municipal government leadership experience and has held roles in Arizona, Illinois, and her home state of Maine. Yacoben earned a Master’s degree in Public Policy with a finance concentration from the University of Chicago, and she is a Certified Public Finance Officer.
In addition to the interview panels, the candidates will also attend a public meet and greet. Community members are invited to attend the meet and greet, which will take place on Tuesday, August 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Bishop Professional Development Center located at 3601 SW 31st St.
The City said 40 candidates applied for the position. Of the 40 candidates, 13 had ties to Kansas. After review of all candidates, the Governing Body selected the four candidates to interview.
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