Article published Jan 10, 2008

City manager finalist names released

City government Thursday released the names of five candidates for the Great Falls city manager position.

City Manager John Lawton is retiring.

The candidates are James H. Patrick, the city manager of Kalispell; Michael L. Ashcraft, deputy city manager in Olathe, Kans.; Gregory Thomas Doyon, city manager of Franklin, N.H.; Michael L. Stampfler, a consultant and former city manager of Casselberry, Fla., and Portage, Mich.; and Mark A. Winson, vice president of Lake Superior College in Duluth, Minn., and former city of Duluth chief administrative officer.

These five finalists for the position will be interviewed by city commissioners beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Holiday Inn Russell Room in Great Falls. Interviews will be open to the public.

After the interviews, city commissioners are scheduled to be debriefed at 3:45 p.m. Saturday by the city’s consultant, Jerry Oldani. It is not certain when commissioners will decide whether to offer the position to one of the candidates.