The four finalists to become the next city manager of Fruita will make presentations to the Fruita City Council during a special meeting Jan. 9 from 7:45-9 a.m. The finalists then will participate in a community meet and greet later that day, 5:30-7 p.m. at the Fruita Community Center, 324 N. Coulson St.. Comment cards will be available to provide feedback to the Fruita City Council about the finalists.

The city narrowed the field to four finalists after receiving 43 applications from candidates from Colorado and 18 other states. The finalists are: Jay Harrington; Keith Rinehart; Drew Sanders; and Shannon Vassen.

Harrington has been the county manager for Routt County since 2021 and was the town manager for Carbondale from 2011 to 2021 and city manager for Cortez from 2007 to 2011 He has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Sociology from St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York. He also has a master’s degree in Urban Regional Planning from the University of Colorado at Denver.

Rinehart has been the director of community and economic development for the City of Saginaw, TX, since 2020. He was Saginaw’s director of recreation and community services from 2004 to 2020 and the director of recreation from 2004 to 2005. Rinehart has a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Angelo State University, San Angelo, TX.

Sanders has been city manager for Cortez since 2021 and was chief of police in Page, AZ, from 2019 to 2021 and a lieutenant for the West Jordan Police Department from 1992 to 2019. He has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Columbia College and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Utah, where he also was an adjunct professor.

Vassen is Fruita’s interim city manager and served as Fruita’s assistant city manager since 2023 and as the assistant to the city manager from 2021 to 2022. Vassen was a management analyst for the City of Fruita, worked for the City and County of Denver and Mesa County’s department of human services. He 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.