×

Council hires permanent manager

McGuire will succeed Strohm to lead city

City Council Monday hired a permanent manager, following a national search facilitated by a Pittsburgh consulting firm — a full year after the retirement of the city’s last permanent manager.

The new manager is Christopher McGuire, a 35-year Army veteran who is finishing up a four-year stint as city administrator and executive director of economic development for Clyde, Texas — a city of a little less than 4,000 in the central part of that state.

McGuire succeeds Omar Strohm, a Blair County native who started with Altoona as a human resources director in 2002 and served in the top job for three years until January 2024, followed by interim managers Joe Merrill, the police chief; and Nate Kissell, the current interim, whose regular job is public works director.

After Strohm’s retirement, the city launched its own search without success, then hired Strategic Solutions — an overall effort that led to applications from 20-plus manager candidates; council interaction with half a dozen of those; then a finalist pair, who visited recently for tours of the city and in-person interviews with council members, officials said Monday.

The search brought out “very qualified” applicants from as far away as Alaska, according to Laurence Christian, government administration specialist with Strategic Solutions.

Although McGuire is coming from Texas, he has family connections to Altoona and the region, Christian said.

“This is almost like bringing him home,” Christian said.

McGuire has an economic development background, which matches one of the city’s primary requirements, according to Christian.

That background includes experiences that qualify him to deal fruitfully with labor contracts with the city’s three unions — fire, police and non-uniformed, according to Christian.

He has extensive experience with mediation, according to Councilman Ron Beatty.

In the military, where he rose to the rank of colonel before retiring, Christian learned how to lead, which means “he knows how to bring out the best” from individuals for whom he’s responsible, Christian said.

“He is the right guy for the right time for the community,” Christian said.

The city is becoming more desirable as a managerial destination, due to “good things happening,” which include development in the downtown, near the eastern foot of the Seventh Street Bridge and in the area where Bon Secours hospital once stood, according to Councilman Dave Butterbaugh.

That desirability increased recently with the completion of a comprehensive plan, which found favor with McGuire, and which McGuire will be expected to help put into practice, according to Butterbaugh.

McGuire will work under a two-year contract that extends until Feb. 28, 2027.

He’ll earn a base salary of $150,000.

Benefits include term life insurance — although it won’t include health insurance, according to the contract.

McGuire will not be covered by the city’s normal retirement system, although the city will establish a deferred compensation plan through the International City Management Association Retirement Corp., to which the city will contribute 5% of McGuire’s base salary.

The city will reimburse McGuire’s moving expenses.

He’ll need to have a home within the city proper by the end of the first year.

The agreement renews for another two-year period unless either party gives 120 days’ notice that it wishes not to extend the agreement or that it wishes to open negotiations on a new agreement.

If the city terminates the agreement early, it must provide 30 days’ notice and must continue to pay McGuire’s salary, which can be in the form of a lump sum payment, except that after a year, the obligation is just six-months’ pay and unused vacation and sick leave.

If McGuire wants to resign, he must provide 60 days’ notice.

Council will evaluate McGuire’s performance at least once annually.

The city has no obligation for severance pay if termination is due to a misdemeanor or felony conviction.

Prior to coming to Clyde, McGuire was deputy commander of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command for an Area Support Group in Kosovo; executive officer for the U.S. Army Garrison at Fort Lee in Virginia; director of emergency services for the Fort Hunter Liggett & Parks Reserve Forces Training Area in California; president of the Chapter 252 Federal Managers Association at Fort Bliss in Texas; and a member of the Federal/Military Section Board of Directors of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, according to his LinkedIn page.

McGuire’s final day in Clyde is Jan. 31, according to an article by KTXS in Texas.

Council plans to keep Strategic Solutions to help with the transition to the new manager, according to Beatty.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today