Three finalists named for rec. center job

MEEKER — The Eastern Rio Blanco Metropolitan Recreation and Park District is one step closer to having a new executive director.
“We have conducted our phone interviews,” said Joe Nieslanik, president of the board of directors.
Members of the seven-member hiring committee had phone interviews with four candidates on June 4. Following the interviews, the committee eliminated one of the candidates. The other three applicants will be brought in for personal interviews. All three candidates will be here June 16.
For the phone interviews, the hiring committee formulated four questions to be asked of each candidate.
“I think two of the three (candidates) have very good experience and what we’re looking for,” Nieslanik said. “One of the three is not as experienced, but has a lot of other good qualities the committee felt were important.”
The three finalists are Scott Pierson of Sainte Genevieve, Mo., Philip Moya of Greeley and Zach Clatterbaugh, who is in the process of moving to Meeker from Kemmer, Wyo., Nieslanik said.
Clatterbaugh is the son of Bruce Clatterbaugh, president of Mountain Valley Bank in Meeker.
“He didn’t go to high school here,” Nieslanik said of Zach Clatterbaugh. “But certainly has ties to the community.”
Nieslanik said the committee hoped to make a job offer by June 27.
“That fulfills our two-week posting period,” he said.
Asked when he hoped to have a new executive director on the job, Nieslanik said, “Just as quick as we can get them here. But at the very least, it’s a two-week period. So, by the 15th of July. Most of the candidates feel that is realistic.”
Whoever the new executive director will be, he will have some big shoes to fill, Nieslanik said. Heidi Hoffman Ham was executive director here for five years and headed up the effort to build the new $8 million recreation center, which opened in early January.
“She had more of a visionary project role,” Nieslanik said of Ham.
Ham was named executive director of the Downtown Development Authority in Grand Junction last week. She submitted her resignation to the rec. center board in May.