The City of Salida is pleased to announce that Bill Almquist has been promoted to the position of Community Development Director.
Almquist has worked for the City of Salida since November of 2018 as a Planner in the Community Development Department. During his time with the City, Almquist has helped shepherd a number of notable projects through the Planning Commission and City Council, and was also responsible for the City being awarded $225,000 in grants for projects associated with mobility. Prior to his time with the City of Salida, Almquist was the Community Relations Manager for Ride the Rockies, and also held community development positions with the City of Denver and the City of Eugene, Oregon. Mr. Almquist holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy Analysis from Pomona College and a master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon.
According to Mayor P.T. Wood, “The promotion of Bill to our leadership team at the City will be a great addition and provides continuity for the department, the Planning Commission, and the City Council. With continuing growth and development in and around Salida, the opportunity could not be better to have Bill take on more responsibility. It’s also important for our staff to have the opportunity to grow and gain experience in our organization and be able to move up when the time is right.”
Almquist will be joining the City’s administrative team immediately, and has already been working with other departments during this time of transition. A Salida resident for the past two-plus years, Almquist, his wife, and their young daughter have settled in nicely in the community. “Bill’s gained a lot of experience and knowledge during his time with the City,” said Drew Nelson, City Administrator. “It’s a blessing to have such great local talent already with the organization to fill a complex and demanding position.”
