After a difficult few years in the town of Parker, the new mayor and council voted to hire a newcomer from the outside as mayor from St. George called Ed Dickie.

Photo by Angela Gervasi, Nogales International

Dickie will begin May 8 after being approved by the council on Tuesday. He recently worked as a manager for Dewey-Humboldt before spending about a year as a city manager in Nogales, Arizona. At Parker, Town’s last full-time manager Lori Wedemeyer’s contract ended last year after a period of paid administrative leave.

hoodie live I caught up with Dickie to find out a little more about him and asked him how he goes about his business.

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Did you know anything about Parker before this?

Little did I know it was on the river. It’s quiet, but in the summer it can get a little more exciting on the river! I used to drive by on my way north.

Are you from the St. George area?

yes. I have a wife, parents, daughter and her two grandchildren and wanted to stay in Arizona. [my current] I’m retired, work in a small town fairly close to St. George, so I was very excited when the opportunity arose.

How was Nogales? haven’t been there long?

It worked, but when this came out, I couldn’t pass it up. I can only live a certain distance from George, and Nogales is now a 9 hour drive. It’s a 4 hour drive.

It makes a lot of sense. Mayor Hartress says she’s excited to work with you. He greatly criticized what he saw as entrenched interests and personal relationships tend to get in the way of good things for citizens. Do you have a philosophy or idea how the relationship between the Town Manager and the Council should work ideally?

Yeah, I think it’s the perfect situation for the town and me. I have no preconceived notions, and I don’t like trying to find out everything, and I want to build relationships on my own. I know how to handle the town’s day-to-day business and work with the mayor and council to get the most accurate information possible. Make recommendations and make those decisions. i have a lot of experience. Working with staff, building a team and organization, everyone is happy and proud of their work and looking to provide the best possible service to our residents. The best way to provide that service, and just do it.

Parker is a small town, but it’s the county seat, walking distance from City Hall to the courthouse, and the CRIT Tribal Government right there. So it’s a mixture of jurisdictions. Any thoughts on working with other government agencies around us?

I think you have to. I have worked on many partnerships with cities, police, fire and courts. I like to see partnerships when I work. We must do what we can for society. Again, no preconceptions. Start by saying, “Hi, I’m Ed. What can we do to help each other?” I think what we do as partners will benefit La Paz county and the tribe. , let’s talk about it!

Is there anything that sets you apart in the way you love doing this job?

I think what I bring in is communication and building a strong, high performing team. I like people to succeed. I would like to meet with each city council member to find out what they want from the city. To answer your question, I really want people to succeed in serving the masses.

The big change for Parker is that it’s a very deliberate decision to hire someone from outside the community rather than a town manager who grew up locally.

We understand the pros and cons of hiring from within the community. It just runs the chance that they’re making up their minds about certain people, how things go. But at the same time they can bring good insight. they know the community. There are pluses and minuses. The positives from the outside allow me to focus on my work and on building a strong performing team.

Are you a boat lover, are you interested in rivers?

I do, I love fishing, I might end up getting a small fishing boat or a small putt-around boat that I can use with the kids.I think I will eventually. But in the meantime, go fishing, hiking, or exploring the area a bit. I look forward to being there!