Pogge Weaver Finalist for Marion City Manager Job | news

Carroll City Manager Mike Pogge-Weaver, a senior local official who in five years in his position has headed a list of public works and other city council priorities, is one of four finalists for City Manager in Marion, a town of 41,000 – the 13th largest in Iowa – which borders Cedar Rapids, Iowa’s second largest city.

Mike Pogge-Weaver

A decision by the Marion city council is expected at the beginning of October.

The other three finalists in Marion are: Fairfield City Manager Aaron Kooiker, Independence City Manager Al Roder and Indianola City Manager Ryan Waller.

The winning candidate follows former Marion City manager Lon Pluckhahn, who left for a position in Vancouver, Washington, in August. Pluckhahn had been with the city of Marion for 14 years.

“My family and I were hugged by the Carroll community from day one,” Pogge-Weaver told the Times Herald. “Carroll is a community we fell in love with and it was a great place for us to raise our daughter Jane.”

A native of Fort Dodge, Pogge-Weaver returned to Iowa after joining Carroll after serving as a county administrator in Swift County, Minnesota.

As an applicant, he was hired by the company at the beginning of July to look for the next Marion City Manager.

“I have been contacted in a variety of roles over the years while at Carroll, and this was the first time since I was with Carroll that I had even considered applying for another role,” said Pogge-Weaver. “My family and I visited Marion and found in Marion many of the same qualities as Carroll. Since we love the Carroll community, applying for the position with Marion was a difficult decision. With just over 41,000 residents and the 13th largest ward in Iowa, Marion’s position was a rare opportunity to consider. “

Pogge-Weaver said it was an honor to be considered for the Marion position.

“There are three other very qualified candidates with me so my focus for now is the city of Carroll and I look forward to serving the Carroll community for so long,” he said.

The outgoing Mayor of Carroll, Dr. Eric Jensen, the only mayor Pogge-Weaver has worked with, said the most important step the city took during his six years as mayor was to hire Pogge-Weaver.

“I think it was a gift from God to us,” said Jensen. “He was a real problem solver.”

Jensen said he was pleased with a number of city government achievements, from opening a modern library to developing more fountains for the water system to upgrading Merchants Park, which recently hosted state baseball tournaments.

Jensen also mentioned the accessibility in the town hall with the new council rooms and access to meetings via the Internet.