In November of 2023, the Sparks City Council approved retaining Bob Murray and Associates, an executive recruiting firm, to find the next Sparks City Manager.
Over the past several months, the Bob Murray team and city staff have collaborated to bring two highly qualified candidates to the Sparks City Council for consideration.
Those candidates are Aaron Cubic, currently the City Manager of Grants Pass, Oregon and Dion Louthan, currently the Assistant City Manager of Roseville, California.
On March 20, 2024, Sparks City Council interviewed Cubic and Louthan in a public meeting.
Cubic says he helps the Grants Pass City Council decide developing policies and programs.
“I pride myself on communicating openly and honestly through a variety of methods and encourage internal and external feedback to inform organization members," says his Grants Pass City Manager bio. "I encourage a trusting and supportive environment that fosters innovative problem-solving initiatives from every aspect of the organization.”
Louthan has been the Assistant City Manager of the City of Roseville for three years.
He also has more than 25 years of municipal experience working in Henderson Nevada, Salina Kansas and the Hugoton Recreation Commission in Kansas.
"I want to go in and learn first and foremost, and I think part of the learning process is listening to what's important to council. How we would go about engaging with them is really important so that would be my approach early on," said Louthan.
"You're always looking for those right opportunities and I think this is one of those right opportunities," he added.
"My first few days on the job would be one, meeting with the finance department and going over the financials, walking around making myself seen, getting to know people, meeting with the media, meeting with community members, meeting with City Council members," said Cubic.
Louthan mentions the past job experience he has under his belt makes him feel confident about applying for the Sparks City Manager position.
"All of those elements are a part of what makes a community. You have to have great departments all the way around for it to compliment each other," said Cubic. "If we're just good in one area were not going to be affective and I think that's where some of these agencies that I've been apart of, it's given me good experience."
Cubic says he's been waiting for the Sparks City Manager position to open up.
"Looking at the city of Sparks, you take a look at the City Council and the elected officials. We have quality elected officials in Sparks. They exemplify community leadership, the organization is well run. Sparks is not without its challenges, but it has been a well run city for many years and then the community is willing to invest in itself."
They also took tours through facilities around town to see how the City of Sparks functions.
"The staff I interacted with? Exceptionally engaging, open minded, and you look for that when you're going through those processes because it's an interview both ways," said Louthan.
"The tour of the facilities today was a great experience," said Cubic. "It was a great experience because it reinforced that background information that I had that Sparks is a great community," said Cubic.
