By Laura Alanis-Lopez

Pflag Correspondent

Members of the Pflugerville City Council announced on Wednesday, Nov. 18, that they intend to hire Brandon Wade of Galveston as Pflugerville’s new city manager.

“I am pleased to announce our selection of Brandon Wade to the Pflugerville city manager position, as he holds the experience and technical proficiency that our City Council is looking for,” said Pflugerville City Mayor Jeff Coleman. “I am excited about the vision Brandon expressed for Pflugerville’s growth and our need to maintain Pflugerville’s unique sense of community as our growth continues to spiral.”

Earning his bachelor’s in civil engineering from Texas Tech University and his master’s in public administration in urban management from the University of Houston, Wade comes to Pflugerville after spending 10 years as the deputy city manager for Galveston.

According to Alicia Cahill, Galveston city public information officer, two of Wade’s biggest accomplishments during his tenure include the recapitalization of the city’s water and sewer infrastructure, as well as the rebuilding and Hurricane Ike recovery to date.

Also having worked for several other Texas cities like Alvin, Richland Hills and Dallas and holding a variety of positions including deputy city manager, assistant city manager, director of Public Works and Municipal Utilities and director of Community Development during his 20 years in city government, Wade is saddened about leaving Galveston but is excited about the opportunity to grow professionally.

“I am deeply moved by the trust and confidence that Mayor Coleman and the Pflugerville City Council have shown in me,” said Brandon Wade, final candidate for Pflugerville City Manager. “This is a dynamic crossroads in Pflugerville’s history. Simultaneously managing its explosive growth and preserving its small town charm will be both a challenge and an opportunity. I look forward to assuming my duties in [2010] and working toward another prosperous decade.”

The city of Pflugerville has been working with Waters-Oldani Executive Recruitment, a division of Waters Consulting Group to conduct the city manager search, which began after the position was vacated by David Buesing in May. Buesing was reassigned as the city’s director of Public Works and has been with city for 29 years.

Wade was selected from a total of 89 candidates and three finalists. The final three candidates included Paul Hofmann of Kerrville and Steven Norwood of Prescott, Ariz. All three finalists have experience working as either a city manager or deputy city manager for cities in Texas, as well as advanced degrees in public administration or urban affairs.

The City Council was expected to take action at the Nov. 24 meeting to formally appoint Wade city manager. Results of that meeting were unavailable at presstime.

If appointed, it is expected that his new salary will be $157,500 plus a car allowance and all other city employee benefits. Wade would assume his new role on Jan. 4, 2010.