Thornton City Council identified five candidates as finalists for consideration to become the next Thornton City Manager. They have narrowed that to two finalists that will participate in the town hall.
- Watch the video of the of the Thornton City Manager Candidate Town Hall, held on August 16th in the Thornton Council Chambers. In this Q&A Session, each candidate answers a series of questions submitted by the public and employees.
Biographies below for the two finalists are below:
Tansy Hayward: Ms. Hayward has been with Raleigh, NC (population 480,000) since 2014, and has served as Deputy City Manager since 2021. Previously she worked for Tacoma, WA (population 203,929) for eight years, with the last six years as the Assistant City Manager. She also had prior service with Des Moines, IA (population 209,232) and Olathe, KS (population 149,469). Ms. Hayward has broad experience supervising Departments across her career and has led and assisted Departments with major projects and decisions, including many that manage and prepare for growth. Examples include:
- Facilitation of a multi-year work plan to coordinate land use, affordable housing, and transit resulting in the Equitable Development around Transit Plan, investments in key affordable housing sites and strategies,
- Transit Overlay Districts, and the Public Project Community Support Fund
- Regional negotiations on water regulations and water supply
- Collaboration with the Dix Park Conservancy on long-term planning and vision for the development of Dix Park
- Long-term funding goals and strategies, and
- A comprehensive Fire Master plan to address growth through infill and annexation pressure
- Land use planning and zoning reform
Tansy is a committed public servant and works to support the needs and interests of each unique employee and elected official. She is forthright about risks and keeps focus on long-term vision and collective needs, keeping collaboration and communication at the heart of her work.
Ms. Hayward has been active in regional and professional organizations and has held leadership roles in state and national organizations. She currently serves as an Advisory Board Member to the MissionSquare Research Institute.
She is a native Kansan and holds her undergraduate and MPA degrees from the University of Kansas. Tansy has 21-year-old twin daughters and two golden retrievers.
Redmond Jones: Mr. Jones has been the Deputy City Manager for Iowa City, IA (population 75,233) since 2021. Previously, he was the City Administrator for West Branch, IA (population 2,564) for four years, the City Manager for Groveland, FL (population 13,452) for three years, the Managing Partner of Dellmar Consulting (four years), and an Assistant to the City Administrator of Davenport, IA (population 97,000) for eight years. Mr. Jones is committed to the same standards that he expects from his team, whether it is punctuality, diligence, or maintaining a positive attitude. This approach fosters respect and motivates his team to perform at their best. As the city’s project manager for the John O'Donnell Baseball Stadium (now renamed Modern Woodman Park) renovation project in Downtown Davenport, IA, Mr. Jones had responsibility for coordinating the financing, engineering (including pre-design, and design), and construction aspects of the project. The situation was particularly tricky because the stadium lies on the banks of the Mississippi River. While a beautiful location, it is prone to flooding in the spring and summer. Following his pledge not to allow this project to go over budget, he obtained a $1,250,000 Community Attraction and Tourism grant from the Iowa Department of Economic Development (something few thought was achievable). Additionally, to cover shortfalls directly related to expanding the local baseball team and Major League Baseball requirements, he negotiated a $1.80 ticket surcharge commitment to be used as collateral for a $2,800,000 municipal bond.
Through his leadership, the city was able to deliver a $14 million amenity with limited exposure to the city and its citizens while also retiring the project debt related in only two years. The renovation was completed on time and on budget. Further, it has twice been recognized as "the best minor league baseball park in the nation". Mr. Jones has a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Cleveland State University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas.
The Thornton City Manager position opened earlier this year when Kevin Woods retired after serving since October 2017. On February 28, 2024, Thornton City Council appointed Thornton Executive Director of Utilities & Infrastructure Brett Henry as Interim City Manager.