Town of Telluride: Zoe Dohnal Appointed by Town Council as Acting Town Manager!

25 Jun Town of Telluride: Zoe Dohnal Appointed by Town Council as Acting Town Manager!

Zoe Dohnal Appointed by Town Council as Acting Town Manager.

Council continues national search for next Town Manager with application deadline approaching.

The national search has an application deadline of this Sunday, June 30. Preliminary interviews with Columbia Ltd. will take place from July 12 through 15. Town Council will review a list of qualified applicants on July 23, and finalist interviews will take place on August 13 and 14.

To learn more about the role of the Town Manager or to apply for the position, please visit bit.ly/tottownmanager.

Go here for more about the Town of Telluride.

Deputy Town Manager Zoe Dohnal has been named acting town manager for the Town of Telluride with a unanimous 7-0 Town Council vote at Tuesday, June 25, regular meeting. Dohnal will step into the role on Wednesday, June 26 and serve until Town Council appoints a permanent town manager.

With the recent resignation of Telluride Town Manager Scott Robson, effective Tuesday, June 25, 2024, Town Council was able to decide how to address the vacancy. Section 7.2 of the Telluride Home Rule Charter states the following:

• Section 7.2. Acting Manager. Within thirty (30) days of a Town Council determination of absence, resignation, or disability of the Town Manager, the Town Council shall appoint an acting Town Manager to hold all powers and responsibilities of the Town Manager position.

Dohnal has over seven years of experience in local government and has served as deputy town manager for the Town of Telluride for the last year and a half. As an executive in the Town Manager’s office, Dohnal has provided executive support to the Town Manager in all duties, overseeing operations and stakeholder relations and taking full responsibility for the role in the Manager’s absence.

Dohnal has overseen a team of seven direct reports and seven departments, including Communications, Community Services, IT, Finance, Clerk, Sustainability, and Human Resources, while fostering a culture of accountability and high performance for the organization. A few of many key accomplishments include executing the Short-term Rental Study; Town’s 2022 Climate Action Plan; the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) strategy; and the Facilities Master Plan.

Dohnal joined the Town of Telluride in 2022 following her role as the director of operations and development with the Town of Mountain Village. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver and a bachelor’s degree in economics and marketing from Butler University.

Town Council is leading a nationwide search for Telluride’s next town manager, targeting prospective candidates across multiple disciplines.

On Wednesday, May 22, Town Council established a search committee made up of all seven council members to identify and hire a permanent town manager with the help of recruiting firm Columbia Ltd.