Two people have emerged as finalists to be the new Salina City Manager.  According to the City of Salina, Mike Schrage of Salina and Jeff Dingman of Fort Smith, Arkansas, are the two candidates they will choose between.

Schrage currently serves as Salina’s Interim City Manager. He has served Salina as Deputy City Manager for 12.5 years before accepting the interim role in June. His previous public sector experience includes 12 years as City Administrator in Smithville, Missouri and 2.5 years in Maysville, Missouri. Mr. Schrage holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Northeast Missouri State University and obtained a Master’s Degree in Public Administration at Wichita State University.

Dingman is the Deputy City Administrator at the City of Fort Smith, Arkansas. He has served Fort Smith for 7.5 years, including 10 months as Acting City Administrator. Prior to Fort Smith, he was the City Administrator in Baldwin City, Kansas for almost 8 years and was Assistant County Administrator in Sebastian County, Arkansas for 4 years. Mr. Dingman holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Baker University, along with a Juris Doctor and Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Kansas.

The Salina City manager position has been open since Jason Gage left at the end of July to become the city manager of Springfield, Missouri.

An opportunity for the public to meet the candidates will be held at Tony’s Pizza Event Center on Thursday, December 20, 5:30-7 p.m., upstairs in Room 203.

Each finalists will give a brief presentation and then answer questions from Commissioners.

If the public would like to submit questions for consideration, send those to Natalie Fischer, City Director of Human Resources, by noon on Monday, December 17 at [email protected].