The City of Fruita decided to remove the word interim from Shannon Vassen’s title when it voted unanimously on Jan 16 to hire him as its city manager. The hiring won’t become official until Vassen and the Fruita City Council agree to a contract.

Vassen had served as the interim city manager following the departure of Mike Bennett, who took over as city manager for the City of Grand Junction in December.

In a news release, the city said Vassen stood out among 43 candidates for the position, and the hiring process was extensive.

A recruitment agency, Columbia ltd, reduced the candidates to 10 who it recommended to the city council, which then chose four finalists to interview. Fruita City Council had multiple meetings during a five-day period to deliberate and unanimously selected Vassen as the best choice.

Prior to becoming the interim city manager, Vassen served as Fruita’s assistant city manager since 2023, and he’s been employed by the city since 2021. Vassen has also worked as a management analyst for the City of Fruita and worked for the City and County of Denver and Mesa County Department of Human Services.

Vassen has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Colorado Mesa University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado School of Public Affairs.

The City of Fruita is a home-rule city with a council-manager form of government. The city manager is the chief executive officer of the city and reports directly to the City Council. The manager is also responsible for the overall planning, coordination, and support of city operations and oversight of city departments.