Hood River Announces Four Finalists for City Manager

The Hood River City Council has designated four finalists for the position of City Manager:  Charlie Bush, Abigail Elder, Cory Misley, and Keith Stahley and announced an opportunity for the community to meet the finalists at a community reception the evening of Tuesday, September 7, 2021.

The Finalists

Charlie Bush

Charlie Bush has 14.5 years of local government management experience, most recently as the City Manager of Sequim, WA. Previously, he served as the Deputy  City Administrator and Development Services Director for the City of Issaquah,  WA, City Administrator for the City of Prosser, WA, Assistant to the City Manager  and Intergovernmental Management Director for Bellevue, WA, Project Manager  and Economic Development Specialist for the Commmunity and Development  Department for the City of Phoenix, AZ. Mr. Bush holds a Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University and a Bachelors degree in Political  Science from Wittenberg University.  

Abigail Elder

Abigail Elder is the current Director of Community Services & Engagement for the City of Beaverton, OR, where she has served since 2018. Ms. Elder has 16  years of local government management experience including as the Director of  the Mayor’s Office and Library Director for the City of Beaverton, OR, Library  Manager for the City of Tualatin, OR, Administrator for the Multnomah County  Library in Portland, OR, and Circulation Manager for the Fort Vancouver  Regional Library in Vancouver, WA. Ms. Elder holds a Master of Public Administration from Portland State University, a Master of Arts in Library and  Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Bachelors degree from Saint  Olaf College. 

Corey Misley

Cory Misley is the current City Manager of Sisters, OR, where he has served since 2018. Mr. Misley has six years of local government management experience including as the City Manager and Assistant City Manager for the City of La Pine, OR and as the Assistant Program Manager for the Center for Sustainable Communites with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Mr. Misley holds a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from  Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelors degree in Political Science and Psychology from Portland State University.  

Keith Stahley

Keith Stahley is the current Assistant City Manager of Olympia, WA, where he has served since 2019. Mr. Stahley has 29 years of local government management experience including as the Community Planning and Development Director for Olympia, WA, Planning Director for the City of Hickory, NC, Deputy Village Manager for the Village of Wellington, FL, Deputy  Administrator and Community Standards Director for ACME Improvement District, and the Principal Planner for Palm Beach County, FL. Mr. Stahley holds a Master of Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University and a  Bachelors of Landscape Architecture degree from Syracuse University. 

Meet the Finalists

The community will have an opportunity to meet the finalists at a community reception the evening of Tuesday, September 7, 2021. Details on how to sign-up to participate in the reception, will be provided in late August. Candidate interviews will be conducted on September 8th and 9th, 2021. The Hood River City Council expects to make its final selection on Friday, September 10th.