Town of La Plata MD - Town Manager

The Town of La Plata seeks an exceptional leader to serve as its next Town Manager taking the Town through its next round of growth. This opportunity offers the chance to guide a wellestablished serviceoriented community with dedicated Town staff and the opportunity to develop a strong leadership team.

As the chief executive officer and head of the administrative branch the Town Manager will report directly to the Mayor and Council while overseeing a dedicated leadership team of six direct reports: the Town Treasurer Assistant Town Manager Director of Planning Director of Operations Police Chief and Town Clerk. The position demands a visionary leader who can transform strategic planning into tangible results ensuring La Plata continues to deliver exceptional services that enhance quality of life for all residents.

The ideal candidate will be a change agent with a collaborative leadership style and proven track record of fiscal stewardship demonstrated through the development and of annual budgets that align with community priorities and growth needs. Success in this role requires someone who can:

• Review current practices and bring a culture of innovation and operational excellence throughout the organization
• Strengthen community engagement and partnerships with local stakeholders
• Implement strategic initiatives that advance La Platas vision for the future
• Maintain and enhance the Towns reputation for responsive highquality service delivery

This position offers a unique opportunity to join a municipality known for its strong governance dedicated staff and engaged Mayor and Council. For a dynamic leader passionate about public service and community development La Plata presents an ideal environment to make a lasting impact on a thriving Maryland community.

Priorities

• Embrace the values of the La Plata community. Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the issues affecting the community advance creative solutions and balance political neutrality with recognition of community goals.
• Ensure longterm fiscal sustainability through strategic budget planning and responsible resource management while maintaining the Towns strong financial position.
• Guide the Town through growth ensuring the Town continues to provide needed services for its residents and businesses.
• Focus on bringing best practices to the Town in all areas of services delivery and governance.

The Successful Candidate

La Platas next Town Manager will be an approachable hardworking and ethical leader with a proven track record of transformational leadership and strategic longterm vision. Skilled at balancing the Councils goals with efficient daytoday operations this leader will have the foresight to help guide the Towns future while managing its rapid growth. They will bring a pragmatic creative and customerfocused approach successfully modernizing municipal functions and implementing complex projects.

The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership and consensusbuilding skills able to navigate diverse perspectives across departments while maintaining clear boundaries between policy and administration. They will empower staff with clear expectations and development opportunities cultivating a cohesive organizational culture built on trust accountability and effective collaboration.

As an engaging communicator and listener this individual will excel at community and business outreach adeptly managing relationships with local businesses government entities residents and nonprofits. Their focus on infrastructure water resources and growth management will be key to advancing the Towns vision.

Experienced in human resources and organizational development the Town Manager will be wellequipped to address personnel issues and foster a positive unified workplace. Financially and politically astute they will have the judgment to respectfully handle conflicts and convey difficult messages professionally when needed. This forwardthinking leader will be an enthusiastic change agent dedicated to positioning La Plata for a dynamic future in Marylands wealthiest majorityminority county and setting the groundwork for sustainable growth over the next 20 to 30 years.

Qualifications

Minimum requirements include a bachelors degree and at least five years of progressively responsible experience in a local government including three years of supervision and/or executive level management (manager assistant or department director/assistant director).

Preferred qualifications include a masters degree in public administration or a closely related field and strong human resources/employee relations fiscal management economic development utility management and regional and intergovernmental expertise. ICMACM and work in a fullservice councilmanager government are preferred but not required.

Residency is preferred but not required; engagement and visibility in the community is required.

Inside The Organization

The Town of La Plata incorporated on April 4 1888 operates under a CouncilManager form of government reflecting its commitment to accountable and professional local governance. An independently elected Mayor and four Councilmembers each representing one of the Towns wards serve fouryear terms and work collaboratively to establish La Platas strategic direction. The Council relies on the Town Manager to implement policies and ensure efficient highquality service delivery that meets the needs of its residents.

With four departmentsPlanning Finance Public Works and PoliceLa Platas organizational structure is designed to provide focused responsive services across critical areas of municipal operations. The Towns General Fund Budget for FY2025 is $15.57 million which supports a dedicated workforce of 60 full and parttime employees. This budget enables the Town to prioritize public safety infrastructure and financial health while the Towns Enterprise Funds support essential services including sanitation water sewer and stormwater management programs. These enterprise programs ensure La Platas resilience in maintaining its environmental and public health standards aligning with the Towns longterm strategic priorities.

The Towns strong leadership and wellstructured departments along with a committed Council provide the new Town Manager with the foundation to build on La Platas history of communityfocused governance.

The Community

La Plata was originally founded in the 1870s as the Pennsylvania Railroad was granted a right of way to build its tracks and station. Since then it has grown into a vibrant community of over 9000 residents with hundreds of small businesses that serve southern Maryland. La Plata is conveniently located in southern Maryland about 30 miles southeast of Washington D.C.; 60 miles south of Baltimore; 45 miles southwest of Annapolis; and 80 miles north of Richmond Virginia. La Plata serves as the county seat for the Charles County Government.

According to the 2020 US Census American Community Survey the ethnic makeup of the community is 63.5 White 30.5 Black 3.2 Hispanic and 2.8 Asian. In addition the median household income is $117065 and the median age is 40.4 years old. The Town has a total area of 7.63 square miles and is located just two miles from the shores of the Potomac River.

La Platas central location in southern Maryland provides excellent access to some of the midAtlantics most popular destinations. Despite this central location La Plata retains its smalltown charm and naturalistic beauty. Framed by the Clark Run Nature Area Laurel Springs Regional Park and Hawthorne Country Club La Plata is within a fiveminute drive of Chapel Point State Park and the banks of the Potomac River. Highway 301 which brings northsouth travelers directly through La Plata connects Virginia and Maryland via the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge a span across the Potomac that provides amazing views of the river.

The Town is located on land that was originally part of a 6000acre land grant given to Colonel Samuel Chapman a member of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Colonel Chapman traveled widely during his life to the western United States as far as Colorado and to South America as far as Argentina. It was during these travels that he encountered the beautiful La Plata River (or River of Silver in English) on the border of Argentina and Uruguay. Upon returning to his home in Maryland he named a portion of his property La Plata because of its similarity to the shimmering river.

The Town of La Plata has many mature old growth trees which gives the area a sense of being far away from urban city life. Unfortunately this idyllic location was the site of a major F4 tornado in 2002 a natural disaster that destroyed parts of the downtown and damaged Town Hall. But the spirit of the community was reaffirmed as damaged structures were rebuilt with a new vision for the future of La Plata. In fact the communitys new Town Hall became southern Marylands first LEEDcertified building.

Residents of La Plata enjoy several community events throughout the year including the Friday Night Concert Series during the summer and the Fall Festival in October where neighbors come together to enjoy music crafts and great food. The community boasts a vibrant cultural scene highlighted by the Port Tobacco Players a renowned community theater group offering quality productions in Charles County Maryland. Just outside the town limits Saint Ignatius Church founded in 1641 stands as the longest continually serving Catholic parish in the United States. Additionally the Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House and Museum the historic home of the physician who treated John Wilkes Booths broken leg offers a glimpse into a pivotal moment in American history. Major employers of La Plata residents include the Charles County government University of Maryland Charles Regional Center (formerly Civista) the College of Southern Maryland and the Naval Support Facility Indian Head. La Plata is truly in the center of it all.

Quick Facts

• Population: 10284
• Median Household Income: $117065
• Median Home Value: 368000
• Median Age: 40.4

All demographic information was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Compensation and Benefits

The expected hiring range is $120000$195000 depending on qualifications with an excellent benefits package.

How to Apply

Applications will be accepted electronically by Raftelis. Applicants complete a brief online form and are prompted to provide a cover letter and resume. The position will be open until filled with a first review of applications beginning January 20 2025.

Questions

Please direct questions to Catherine Tuck Parrish at and Kelsey Batt at .

Download Recruitment Brochure