WOODBURY, MN (WNN) – Jeffrey Dahl is the city’s new administrator, according to an announcement from the city council. He’s a Woodbury resident and once served as an intern with the city.  Since 2016, Dahl has been the city manager for the City of Wayzata, Minn.

“I am so grateful for the opportunity to work for such a strong organization in the city I call home,” said Dahl. “The City of Woodbury has great staff who care about the community and offer excellent service and connection to the residents of Woodbury. I look forward to working with staff and the City Council to build upon this commitment to be a premier community where everyone can live, work, and thrive.”

City council member Donna Stafford told the planning commission on Monday that “we have spent extensive time with interviews” over the last few weeks. While she did not announce the new administrator, she did say a national search produced a strong field. “We’re very pleased with our candidate,” she said.

In the news release, Mayor Anne Burt said she’s excited to welcome Dahl to the city staff. “We had an incredibly talented pool of applicants, and Jeffrey impressed us all with his experience, his passion for public service, and his approach to the job.

Burt added: “Jeffrey knows Woodbury well. He is a strategic thinker, with the ability to connect well with others, and will be an asset to our community in this new role.”

Dahl has lived in Woodbury for nearly a decade with his wife, Christine, stepdaughter Camila, and son Jack. Dahl will start his position with the city on July 28, pending Council approval of his contract at the June 11 City Council meeting.

In addition to being Wayzata’s city manager, Dahl also acts as executive director of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority. Dahl’s previous leadership positions include HRA assistant city administrator and economic development director at the City of Chaska, Minn., and as city administrator and development services director for the City of Osseo, Minn. He began his career as a community development intern with the City of Woodbury in 2005. Dahl holds an M.A. degree in political science with an urban studies/planning emphasis and a B.A. degree in international relations, both from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

City Administrator Clint Gridley is retiring June 6 after serving in the role for 21 years.

The city hired Baker Tilly, an executive search firm, to help conduct a national search to find Gridley’s successor. A job posting lists the starting salary range as “$220,000 – $260,000, depending on the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.”

The other finalists were:

• Larry D. Burks: Burks most recently served as the township administrator for West Chester Township, Ohio, for seven years until February. Previous leadership positions include assistant city administrator and economic development program administrator for Bellevue, Neb., and city administrator for Onawa, Iowa. Burks holds an M.P.A. degree and a B.S. degree in the environmental studies honors program: geography and planning option, both from the University of Nebraska – Omaha.
• Dana Hardie: Hardie has served as the city manager for Victoria, Minn., since March 2019. Previous leadership positions include interim city manager and director of administrative services for Burnsville, and operations manager in property tax services for Ramsey County. Hardie holds an M.A. degree in public and nonprofit administration from Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, and a B.A degree in Spanish and Latin American studies from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
• Matt Stemwedel: Stemwedel has served as city manager of Coon Rapids, Minn., since June of 2015, after being promoted from his position as assistant city manager. Prior to joining Coon Rapids, he was the assistant to the city administrator in Woodbury. Stemwedel holds a master of public policy degree from the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, at the University of Minnesota with a public and nonprofit management and leadership concentration, along with B.S. degrees in public administration and political science from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
• Jay Stroebel: Stroebel has served as city manager for Brooklyn Park, Minn., since August of 2015. Prior leadership positions include Minneapolis deputy  city coordinator, and Minneapolis director/manager of planning and management. Stroebel possesses an M.S. in applied economics from the University of Minnesota, and a B.A. degree in economics with a concentration in environmental studies from St. Olaf College.