Four vie for city Manager position

The City of Sisters has designated four finalists for the position of city manager: Sungman “Simon” Kim, Neil Obringer, Ron Tinseth, and Keith Witcosky. The community will have an opportunity to participate in small roundtable group conversations with the finalists the evening of Tuesday, November 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Sisters City Hall, 520 E. Cascade Ave.

Dr. Sungman “Simon” Kim currently serves as the principal of Landform and Planning, his private consulting enterprise, and has 15 years of experience in local government management. He has previously served as community development director in the city of Starkville, Mississippi, the director of development services in the city of South Padre Island, Texas, the chief planner in Clay County, Florida, and planning manager in the city of Deltona, Florida.

Dr. Kim holds a Ph.D. in landscape architecture from the University of Sheffield, in England, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of North Florida, a master’s degree in landscape architecture from Seoul National University in South Korea, and a Bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from Daegu University in Daegu, South Korea.

“I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to discuss my candidacy,” he said. “As a leader with hands-on professional knowledge, I am ready to jump in to solve any practical challenges that the City of Sisters might have.”

Neil Obringer currently serves as the budget and procurement manager for the city of Springfield, Oregon, and has three years of local government management positions. He previously held the positions of budget officer in the finance department, senior management analyst in the development and public works department, and management analyst for the city of Springfield. Earlier, he served as partner and operations manager for Ancient Heritage Dairy.

Obringer holds a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in planning, public policy, and management, both from the University of Oregon. “I am honored to be considered for the city manager position and am looking forward to the next step in the selection process,” he said. “Sisters is a special place to my wife and I, and we would be thrilled to be a part of the community.”

Lt. Ron Tinseth currently serves as the finance and administration lieutenant for the police department of the city of Eugene, and has 7-1/2 years of experience in local government management.

He has served in the Eugene Police Department since 1997, as professional standards lieutenant, watch commander, sergeant, and patrol officer. Previously, Lt. Tinseth owned and operated Willamette Valley Companies Construction Corporation. Lt. Tinseth holds a master’s degree in business administration from Bushnell University and a bachelor’s degree in environmental resource management from Arizona State University.

Lt. Tinseth said, “The city of Sisters is a wonderful and vibrant community with a dedicated city government. I am honored to be a city manager finalist, and look forward to engaging in the selection process.”

Keith Witcosky currently serves as the city manager for the city of Redmond, and has 24 years of experience in local government management. He has served as the deputy director, director of government relations, as well as project coordinator for the Portland Development Commission. Witcosky also served as project manager in the Office of the Mayor at the City of Portland. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and mass communications from the University of Denver.

“Central Oregon is fortunate to have all of its cities and communities thriving amid challenges of growth,” he said. “I’m looking forward to learning more about the unique issues in Sisters.”

Contact Emily Rehder at Jensen Strategies ([email protected]) for additional language or accessibility accommodations.