Flagstaff City Manager Kevin Burke announced that Brad Hill has been selected for the position of Utilities Director. Hill has been serving as the interim director for the past two years, responsible for water, wastewater, stormwater and water resource management programs.
Hill has over 23 years of hydrological experience that include 10 years with the City of Peoria (Arizona) where he supervised their groundwater recharge, reclaimed water, water well drilling, and water resource management programs. Prior to his municipal experience, Hill supervised a groundwater computer modeling center for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Hill has also worked for the Arizona Department of Water Resources (Phoenix) and for the national engineering firm CH2M Hill (Boise, Idaho) conducting environmental clean-up projects.
City Manager Burke noted that Hill was the consensus choice of all evaluators. “Brad has a vision and the ability to move the organization towards that vision. He has demonstrated people skills in his management style, decision making approach, and his work with the Council and public. In the two years he has served an interim director he has taken the bold step of moving the organization forward. That’s the type of leadership the City wants,” Burke added.
The City conducted a national search for the Utilities Director position and received 20 applications. Seven candidates were interviewed by telephone and 3 were invited to come to Flagstaff for formal interviews with City leadership, Utilities Division employees and to meet City Council, Water Commission and community members.
Hill said he happy and excited for the opportunity to continue his work for the City as Utilities Director. “It is a privilege to lead a utilities organization filled with dedicated professionals who strive to provide the highest quality of water, wastewater and stormwater services to our valued customers,” Hill said.