Arizona – Eugene Mejia has been appointed as the new chief information officer for the town of Gilbert. Over the last thirteen years, Mejia has served in several leadership roles within the Gilbert Information Technology Department. In his new role, he seeks to position Gilbert as a “City of the Future” through innovation and excellence in operations and service. 

California – Shirvaji Deshmukh has been selected as the next general manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. He brings 25 years of experience ensuring that Southern California communities have reliable water. Deshmukh will lead the implementation of the agency’s climate strategy to manage an increasingly volatile water supply environment.

New Mexico – Denisse Carter has been appointed as the economic development director for Doña Ana County. Carter, a Certified Economic Developer, previously served as the county’s economic development administrator. In her new role, she will lead the county’s economic growth initiatives and build departmental capacity to align with long-term development goals. 

Georgia – Dr. William R. Crowe has been named interim president of Valdosta State University, effective Jan. 1. Crowe previously served as president of Tyler Junior College, where he led the institution from a period of financial crisis to sustained budget surpluses and growth in endowment funding.

Arizona – Patrick Banger has been selected as the next city manager for Glendale. Banger currently serves as town manager for the neighboring town of Gilbert, where he has helped guide significant community growth and development. He will assume his new role on Jan. 12 and seeks to build on Glendale’s momentum for continued success. 

Michigan – Steve Kilar, J.D. has been named the new director of communications for the city of Ann Arbor. He brings previous experience as communications director for a nonprofit civil rights organization and as associate director of news for a daily newspaper in Arizona.

Iowa – Matt Van Schouwen has been appointed as the new city administrator for Orange City. Van Schouwen previously served the city as director of public works for more than six years. With an engineering background, he has overseen numerous community projects, infrastructure improvements and public service initiatives.

Massachusetts – Liz Hartsgrove has been selected as the next town manager for Great Barrington. Hartsgrove brings 23 years of municipal experience on Cape Cod to the mountain town. She is set to begin her new role on Nov. 3.