On May 26, 2023, the Salida City Council was provided a letter by City Administrator Drew Nelson stating his intention to leave the position no later than August 1, 2023.
Nelson has been in his position since October of 2018. This notice was intended to provide an orderly and smooth transition of leadership for the City ahead of the 2023 general election.
Nelson indicated in his letter that this transition commenced in October of 2022 with the hiring of a highly skilled Assistant City Administrator, Christy Doon. Nelson and Doon will be working collaboratively with Mayor Dan Shore to create an orderly hand-off of duties moving forward, and there will be no reduction in services provided to the community.
“Mr. Nelson shared with me and the City Council a variety of personal and professional reasons for his desire to leave his position,” said Mayor Shore. “It is Drew’s prerogative as a professional to seek out new and different challenges, and we do not begrudge him that. We have been fortunate to have the benefit of Drew’s leadership for the past four and a half years, during which the City has experienced a dramatic rebuilding of City staff and forward progress on a myriad of projects. As he seeks new challenges, we wish him all the best”.
In his letter, Nelson stated, “I am grateful for the opportunity that you have provided me to work with outstanding elected officials and staff. We have collectively collaborated on establishing the City of Salida as a top-performing organization. As the longest tenured Administrator in Salida’s modern history, I can testify that the accomplishments of the City have been significant and will endure long after my departure. The incredible staff at the City is now positioned for long-term success and stability, and it has been one of the highlights of my career to witness this transformation.”
