Gresham Passes on Camas Administrator Fox For City Manager Job

Gresham, OR — Gresham Mayor Travis Stovall said today his city council selected Nina Vetter, a city administrator from Colorado to take over as city manager this June.

Vetter, who has worked in local and federal government for a dozen years, made the cut from a search that included 37 candidate applications. 

“After thoughtfully considering the priorities of our Council, the needs of our employees, and the input from the community, we believe that Ms. Vetter’s skills will be critical to moving us forward,” Stovall stated in today’s news release.

Camas City Administrator Jamal Fox, who’s been in this position since August 2020, was a top three finalist for the Gresham city manager position. Camas Communications Director Bryan Rachal said Fox has been pursued by multiple municipalities in recent months.

Fox, along with Vetter, and Patrick Quinton, a former director of Prosper Portland, made their case to Gresham City Council on April 21. Council made their deliberations and the decision was announced today.

Fox was hired by Camas Mayor Barry McDonnell after an 8-month search to succeed former city administrator, Pete Capell, who ran mill town 2013-2019.

“Knowing what type of leader Jamal is, we completely understand why. Jamal’s skills, talent and leadership have been much appreciated and they have been an important part of the success the City has experienced during the pandemic. While we are saddened to possibly lose Jamal to another city, we’re also excited for the opportunity for him and his family,” Rachal said. 

It’s unclear at this time what the status is regarding Fox’s other municipality candidate applications, or how long Fox intends to stay in his position. An email has been sent to then city of Camas asking for further clarification.