Development director quits
The turnover at the top of the city's administration continued Monday as Rob Anderson, director of the city of Rio Rancho's development services department for more than three years, submitted his resignation.
Anderson has been with the city for more than three years. His resignation is effective Sept. 1.
City manager Jim Payne resigned last week, effective Sept. 30.
"It has been my privilege to work with the business and development community, participate in the creation of the city’s new master-planned downtown City Center area, and work with my highly skilled colleagues at City Hall," Anderson said in a news release. "After being brought to New Mexico on a two-year employment agreement, it is my intention to be closer to my children so that I can spend more time with them."
Anderson, who was hired by former city manager Jim Palenick, is from Michigan. He replaced Palenick's first hire, Jim Neblett, who worked with the city for less than a year.
Palenick and the Neblett/Anderson combination filled roles after former mayor Jim Owen was elected in 2002. They replaced James Jimenez and Art Corsi, who worked under mayors Tom Swisstack and John Jennings.
Swisstack was elected mayor in March to fill the term of Kevin Jackson, who resigned last year. Jimenez, who currently serves as Gov. Bill Richardson's chief of staff, is thought to be a top prospect to replace Payne. Corsi, who went on to serve as the city administrator for Castle Rock, Colo., reportedly has returned to Rio Rancho.
Dolores Wood, currently the city's zoning manager, served as an interim director after both Corsi and Neblett resigned. The city's new release said Wood would fill the roll again if a new development director is not hired before Anderson leaves.
Wood has worked for the city for more than 20 years.
In addition to dealing with continued city growth, the new development will inherit two major projects -- the creation of a Development Process Manual and master planning for the downtown area. The department's inability to complete the DPM was a major point of contention in the transition team reports recently presented to the city council.
