Tourism Executive Director Appointed as Interim City Manager

Tourism Executive Director Appointed as Interim City Manager

The Santa Fe City Council voted today to consent to the appointment of Tourism Santa Fe's Executive Director, Randy Randall, as the Interim City Manager. The 7-1 vote in favor of the appointment with Councilor Michael Garcia voting against the appointment and Councilor Lee Garcia not present. Randall began his tourism role with the City in 2014. He oversees the sales and marketing efforts of the City, the management of four City visitor centers, and the operation of the City's Community Convention Center.

Following the vote, Randall thanked the City Council. "I just want to tell each and every one of you that I am honored and flattered by your trust in me. I commit to you that I will do everything that I can, to do the best job that is possible during this interim period," said Randall.

Randall moved to Santa Fe in 1994 to be the General Manager of Eldorado Hotel. In this role, he was responsible for all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the four-diamond/four-star hotel and its more than 250 full-time employees. Prior to the Eldorado Hotel, Randall served as Senior Vice President of Operations at Richfield Hospitality Management based in Denver, Colorado. There he supervised a portfolio of 12 resort and upscale properties including both Eldorado and Hotel Santa Fe.

Mayor Alan Webber said, "Randy has extensive experience with the City of Santa Fe in senior leadership roles. He has a depth of experience in managing high level jobs in both the public and the private sector."

Randall's appointment comes after Former City Manager John Blair announced his resignation to take a position in Washington, D.C. He served his last day with the City on Friday November 1, 2024. Mayor Alan Webber initially appointed City Attorney Erin McSherry as the Interim City Manager. However, following an executive session regarding the appointment, McSherry requested to remain in her current role as City Attorney. Mayor Alan Webber withdrew the nomination prior to a vote by the City Council.

The City posted the City Manager job description in October, as it launched what is designed to be a thorough, extensive, and transparent candidate search process. The recruitment announcement is posted in many mediums including with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), LinkedIn, Indeed, the New Mexico Municipal League, and the Local Government Hispanic Network.

Mayor Webber emphasized the temporary nature regarding Randall's appointment. Mayor Webber says he is grateful to have the experience of Deputy City Manager Layla Archuletta-Maestas during the transition. Mayor Webber plans to have a new City Manager identified in 30-60 days. The job description requires at least eight years of increasingly responsible managerial experience in planning, organizing, directing, and overseeing a large organization. City ordinance specifies a City Manager must be appointed within 90 days of the beginning date of the vacancy in the office of the City Manager. The salary for the Interim City Manager is $182,183.

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