Four candidates now being considered for city manager’s position

Jakubowski Wolz

According to her biography, Sharon A. Jakubowski Wolz is a seasoned executive leader with a diverse background spanning the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Holding a Master’s Degree in business management and a Certified Public Manager distinction, Wolz has excelled in various roles, from serving as Interim city administrator in Walsenburg, Colo., to town manager in Kearny, Ariz.

With expertise in public policy, fiscal management, human resources and organizational development, Sharon is recognized for her versatility and effectiveness in leadership. Her career highlights include overseeing multimillion-dollar budgets, securing grant funding for infrastructure projects, and transforming organizational cultures.

Beyond her executive roles, Wolz has contributed significantly to education and community engagement as an adjunct professor, executive director, and project manager. Her dedication to ethical leadership and commitment to servant leadership underscore her passion for making a positive impact wherever she goes.

Wolz is an active member of several professional associations, including the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), reflecting her ongoing commitment to professional development and excellence in public service.

Jakubowski Wolz has excelled in various roles, from serving as interim city administrator in Walsenburg, Colo., to town manager in Kearny, Ariz.

Carla Reece

Carla Reece is a third-generation Arizonan and hails from the small Arizona mining community of Bagdad, where she spent her formative years. Her academic pursuits led her to achieve a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies and a Master of Public Policy. With an impressive array of career credentials including Certified Public Manager, Master Municipal Clerk, Elections Official and Human Resources Senior Certified Professional accumulated over more than two decades of local government experience, Reece has established herself as a valuable servant leader. She generously shares her expertise across a spectrum of disciplines including serving as a guest lecturer for Arizona State University and several professional organizations.

Her intellectual accomplishments are teamed with a talent for connection with people. Her interpersonal communication tools include mediation, crisis support, coaching and succession planning. Her commitment to effecting organizational culture change and strategic planning has left an indelible mark, whether she was working with small communities, much like the town she grew up in, or bustling cities like Tucson and Tempe.

One such feat, was the negotiation of a pivotal annexation agreement of the Ritz Carlton at Dove Mountain. Her facilitation of the annexation of the resort property and surrounding residential developments, bolstered the tax base for the special district she served. Reece’s strengths as a facilitator and communicator have been instrumental in driving consensus among elected officials, senior management, and community stakeholders.

She navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic with resilience, being one of only two staff members present in city hall during the early months of the pandemic. Her expertise in strategic planning, talent development, and continuous improvement strategies has helped engage team members and shape the trajectory of the local governments she has served.

Recognized for her tireless efforts in fostering innovation, employee engagement, and civic outreach, Reece has earned accolades, including two statewide awards and a national finalist. Her dedication extends beyond her paid roles; she actively volunteers in her community, serving on critical response teams and lending support during crises like the Gabby Giffords shooting and the Granite Mountain Hotshots tragedy. Reece’s unwavering commitment to both professional excellence and community service exemplifies her remarkable character and the depth of her compassion for others.

Reece served as the public safety communications manager of Casa Grande from 2017 to 2019, and most recently as city clerk for the City of Tempe.

Randall Sullivan

Randy Sullivan has been a citizen of Holbrook for 44 years, his family moved here when he was 2 years old. Holbrook has always been home for Sullivan and where he and his wife Jennifer have enjoyed raising their five daughters.

Sullivan graduated from Holbrook High School in 1997 and then attended Northern Arizona University until 2004. He earned a dual degree in Business Administration and Accountancy. After college he worked for Navajo County in the Finance Department until 2008, at which time he began working for the City of Holbrook as the finance Director.

During his time in the city, he has held several roles alongside with his duties as finance director, such as interim manager, assistant manager, public works manager, and water/wastewater manager. Sullivan stated that he is grateful to have the opportunity to gain experience and knowledge of the whole city and enjoys working with all the city employees as a team.

Through the years he has enjoyed coaching youth sports and volunteering in the community. He noted that when he was interim manager in 2018, there was a huge structural fire that made him realize how important the city Volunteer Fire Department is and joined the department shortly after and have been a volunteer ever since.

He believes that the City of Holbrook has potential to have growth and improvement and has enjoyed working on several projects in the last few years that will benefit the town for many years. He would like to continue seeing the progression for the town and for the citizens to enjoy.

John Waters

John Waters was born in Silver City, N.M., and comes from a mining family. His family moved to Carlsbad, N.M., where he graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1987. After graduation, Waters attended New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. He received two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree from NMSU. He has held the “Credentialed Manager” designation from the International City/County Manager’s Association, a “Registered Environmental Manager” certification with the NREP, a level 4 Wastewater Facility Operators Certification and level 2 Water Operators Facility Certification from the State of New Mexico.

Following a six-year stint as a park ranger with Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Waters was hired by the City of Carlsbad in 1994 as the City’s Environmental Officer. There, he worked as Environmental Manager, Wastewater Plant Superintendent, and Deputy Director of Public Works, overseeing the Utilities Division (water, wastewater, solid waste, and environmental services departments).

In 2001, Waters took the plunge and became the city manager for the City of Ruidoso Downs in Central New Mexico. As the manager for a small, fast-growing city, he had the opportunity to develop and implement many new and progressive programs. One of the most rewarding creations during his tenure there was the Ruidoso Downs Economic Development program. There, he helped bring in three developments, a shopping center, the Hampton Inn and Suites, La Quinta Inn, Sears and Compass Bank. He also helped the city receive economic development certification from the New Mexico Economic Development Department and its Keep America Beautiful status. During his stay in Ruidoso Downs, Waters also applied for and acquired over $8.5 million in grant monies for water, wastewater, street, drainage, park and museum improvements.

In 2008, Waters accepted the position of executive director for the Carlsbad Department of Development (CDOD). Waters was successful in rebuilding the agency from the ground up. During his tenure as the longest serving executive director in the agency’s 58-year history, the CDOD successfully recruited retail, restaurant, medical facilities, housing developments (over 6,000 new housing units), industrial plants and regional offices. He also advocated for local industries and the local community in Washington, D.C., and in the state capital. Waters recently retired from the CDOD and wishes to continue in his original career in city management.

Waters and his wife Tracy have been married for 33 years and have four children. Their oldest two have completed college, becoming successful as a scientist and an engineer. Their youngest daughter is in college and their youngest son, Jack, attends high school in Carlsbad and is both a varsity wrestler and plays football.

His latest position was as executive director for the Carlsbad Department of Development.