The Helena City Commission revealed the three prominent candidates for the city manager role on Monday. The selection followed a complex recruitment phase, highlighted by a legal dispute. Janet Hawkinson of Palisade, Colorado; Douglas Schulze, until recently of Banning, California; and Helena’s own Alana Lake have emerged as the top contenders.
Public interviews are scheduled to commence on Monday, Dec. 8, at the City-County Building, located at 316 N. Park Ave. The session will begin with Schulze’s interview from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., followed by Hawkinson from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
That evening, the community can engage directly with the non-local finalists during town hall meetings at the Montana Club, 24 W. Sixth Ave. Schulze will address the public from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., with Hawkinson following from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Lake’s interview is set for Tuesday, Dec. 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., followed by a town hall at the City-County Building’s commission chambers, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Online access for these meetings is available via the city’s Zoom hub. The final deliberation by the commission will occur on Wednesday, Dec. 10, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Hawkinson has managed Palisade since 2018, a location with a 2024 population of 2,600. Her background includes directing community development in Minturn, Colorado. She holds advanced degrees from the University of Colorado, Denver, and Fort Lewis College.
With over 36 years in municipal leadership, Schulze has held roles in several cities, including Sandstone, Minnesota, and multiple communities in Washington. Most recently, he was with Banning, California, a city with 32,000 residents, though he was placed on paid leave, reported by the Riverside Record. His academic background includes urban studies and public administration.
Lake, executive director of the Montana Public Service Commission since March, has a decade of experience in military and federal law enforcement. Her career spans roles with the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and as a counterintelligence officer at Idaho National Laboratory. She is a graduate of Montana State University and Boise State University and is currently advancing her education at the Marine Corps University.
This announcement follows City Manager Tim Burton’s decision to retire, prompting the commission’s search for his successor. The recruitment process faced legal challenges, with a former commissioner claiming violations of Montana’s open meeting laws. The city countered, stating the subcommittee involved is not a governmental body, and emphasized changes to include all commission members in future meetings.
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