Hernandez Named Next City Manager of the City of Dodge City
City of Dodge City
DODGE CITY, Kansas — The City of Dodge City Commission approved the contract naming Nickolaus Hernandez, the next City Manager at the November 18, 2019, Commission meeting after a three and a half month search.
Hernandez was present at the City Commission meeting when the contract was approved, naming him the next City Manager of the City of Dodge City, effective June 1, 2020. This decision came after a multiple month hiring process by the City’s Human Resources office.
“Current City Manager, Cherise Tieben, formally advised the Commission earlier this summer of her plan to retire after 30 years of service to the City effective summer of 2020,” said Ernestor De La Rosa, City of Dodge City Assistant City Manager/Legislative Affairs. “After she advised the Commission of her plans, they instructed the City’s Human Resource Office to begin the search for the next City Manager.”
On August 1, 2019, HR started the hiring process by advertising at the local, regional, and national levels for this position and taking applications until October 1, 2019.
To help the City Commission make a selection, “department heads and community stakeholders participated in an engagement session and later completed a short survey,” De La Rosa said.
“Once the finalist was selected, the City Attorney and the current City Manager started negotiating the Employment Agreement,” De La Rosa said. “Human Resources then completed the background and finalized the hiring details.”
The City Commission felt that Hernandez met all the requirements for this position and was the right fit for Dodge City, De La Rosa said.
Nickolaus Hernandez is a native of Ford County and a U.S Marine Veteran, with a Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies from Fort Hays State University and a Master of Public Administration from Wichita State University. Since 2011, Nickolaus has served as the City Manager for the City of Arkansas City, population of 12,400. Prior to his current position, Hernandez served as the City Manager for the City of Osage City, population of 3,000, for three years. Additionally, he worked for the City of Salina as a Management Assistant for a year.
