Don Reimer has been named the sole finalist to fill the position of Chaffee County Director General Administration. Image courtesy of Don Reimer and the Summit Daily.
Don Reimer has been named the sole finalist in the search for the new Chaffee County Administrator. He previously served with Chaffee County Government as its County Engineer and Planning Director from 2002-2014. In keeping with government procedure, the county now enters a two-week waiting period, at which time on March 21, it will make an offer to Reimer and begin contract negotiations.
The Chaffee Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) were unanimous in their approval of Reimer as the sole finalist for the position. Each commissioner pointed out that the field of finalists for the position was stellar; each eminently qualified and representative of the fact that there is high interest in the county’s potential and quality of life.
Reimer has most recently worked as Community Development Director for the Town of Frisco (2020-present) and previous to that was the Planning Director for Summit County (2014-2020). He holds a degree in Geological Engineering from Colorado School of Mines and is an AICP Certified Planner and registered Professional Engineer.
His recent experience has acquainted him with some of the major issues that Chaffee County is facing, including the urgent need for workforce housing, managing the pressures of population growth, and preserving the county’s quality of life while ensuring economic vitality.
Chaffee County opened the national search in early January to find a successor to Robert “Bob” Christiansen, who announced his retirement in December 2022, following sixteen years in the County Administrator role.
Among his many qualities, Reimer has worked across several interdependent government agencies. Like Christiansen, he is known for his ability to develop and nurture intergovernmental collaboration.
Christiansen formally concluded his full-time employment on February 28, but is continuing to support the County over the coming months through its transition to a new Administrator.
The County announced that it received nearly 100 applications for the County Administrator position from candidates across the country and that the candidate quality was exceptional.
The county hiring committee evaluated applicants utilizing a standardized rubric, ultimately narrowing down the field to five candidates who were invited for interviews in mid-February and then to two semifinalists in late-February. The hiring committee consisted of the Chaffee Commissioners, Keith Baker, Greg Felt, and P.T. Wood; plus administrative representatives Bob Christiansen, Dan Short, County Finance Director, and Beth Helmke, Deputy County Administrator; as well as County Attorney, Daniel Tom.
In accordance with Colorado Revised Statute section 24-6-402, the County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) publicly announced the finalist candidate under consideration at its March 7, 2023 regular meeting. The final hiring decision is planned for the BOCC’s meeting on March 21.
“We were fortunate to have several strong candidates for the Administrator position and are truly grateful to all who shared their interest and input in the opportunity,” said BoCC Chair Baker. “While we will miss Bob Christiansen greatly in this role, we are simultaneously excited to welcome in a new era of county administrative leadership.”
During an open discussion of their decision in their Tuesday, March 7 BoCC meeting, the BoCC pointed out that with such highly-qualified finalists, their hope is that at some point the other finalists might find roles within Chaffe County administration because of their very apparent qualifications.
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