By Conrad Dudderar
Senior Staff Writer
After 25 years of service to the City of Yukon, a new leader will take the reins in just a few weeks.
Tammy Kretchmar will succeed longtime Yukon City Manager Jim Crosby, who will retire from the position effective Jan. 22 after nearly 22 years over two stints.
Kretchmar, who has worked for the City of Yukon since 1996, became assistant city manager in 2010. She spent several months as interim city manager before Crosby returned in early 2016 after more than four years in Piedmont.
“Tammy has been a key player in the growth and the development of our city over the last few years,” Yukon Vice Mayor Jeff Wootton said. “I’m eager to see where Tammy’s leadership will take our city.
“I know the council is rooting for her to be a great city manager for our awesome employees and for the City of Yukon.”
Eight people applied for the city manager position before the Yukon City Council unanimously selected Kretchmar for the top spot.
“Tammy will do a great job because of how close she’s been to the city manager position for years,” Yukon Parks & Recreation Director Jan Scott said. “The city council made a good choice. Tammy knows the community and the heartbeat of the city and has all that experience.”
Scott has gotten to know Kretchmar well since Scott came to the City of Yukon in May 1999.
Interestingly, Kretchmar got her start with the parks and recreation department working at the Yukon Community Center before moving to the administration department at Yukon City Hall.
“I’ve worked closely with Tammy on all our big events, like Christmas In the Park, Freedom Fest, Sounds of the Season, and Chisholm Trail Festival,” Scott said. “She’s very fair and very honest, a very hard worker and very organized. She’s also very personable and approachable.
“Tammy always does the right thing. I can’t share enough praise for her.”
PRECISE AND DEPENDABLE
Ward 1 City Council Member Rick Cacini believes Kretchmar was the ideal choice to be the next city manager.
“Tammy has always done an outstanding job, representing us and working with the city council members,” Cacini said. “She’s very dependable and precise. She knows how to take care of things.
“I very much look forward to working with Tammy in the future and making Yukon an even better town than it is.”
Another finalist for the City of Yukon’s top administrative post was longtime Yukon Development Services Director Mitchell Hort, who also came highly recommended.
“Mitch is a great planner and he’s a great man,” Cacini added. “It was a difficult decision to make, and that’s why it took the city council extra weeks to decide who should get the job.
“We had a lot of people calling us and giving us guidance, which we listened to.”
Read more about Kretchmar and her plans to lead the City of Yukon in an upcoming edition of The Yukon Progress.
