Show notes
The City of Victoria, Texas is recruiting its next Deputy City Manager, and this PositionCast™ episode gives candidates a closer look at the opportunity, the organization, and the leadership environment.
James Groom, Host of The Clear Voice, is joined by Kelly Kuenstler, retired city manager and recruiter for this position, and Jesús Garza, City Manager for the City of Victoria. Together, they discuss why Victoria is creating this Deputy City Manager role, what the City needs from the successful candidate, and why this opportunity may appeal to experienced local government executives.
Victoria is a regional hub of approximately 65,000 residents, located between San Antonio, Houston, Austin, and Corpus Christi. The community offers a strong mix of big city amenities and small town character, with retail, restaurants, outdoor recreation, access to the Guadalupe River, and proximity to the Texas coast.
A major theme of this episode is stability. Victoria operates under a council manager form of government, with a seven member City Council that includes the Mayor. City Manager Jesus Garza describes a governing environment marked by alignment, professionalism, and a shared focus on the entire community. That stability matters for candidates who want to join an organization where elected officials, staff, and the public are generally moving in the same direction.
This Deputy City Manager role is designed to support continuity of progress. Victoria has seen recent internal promotions and leadership transitions, and the City is being intentional about strengthening executive capacity for the future. The position is not framed around finding one candidate who can do everything. Instead, Victoria is considering two clear candidate pathways.
One pathway is for an experienced public safety leader. A candidate with this background may bring value in areas such as police, fire, municipal court, dispatch, emergency management, civil service, collective bargaining, and public safety operations. Victoria recently brought multiple public safety functions into a new 70,000 square foot public safety headquarters, creating new opportunities for coordination, collaboration, and strategic planning.
The second pathway is for an experienced economic development or growth focused leader. A candidate with this background may help advance the City’s Growing Victoria initiative, support population and tax base growth, strengthen the use of the City’s Type B economic development corporation, and help move major strategic priorities forward.
Victoria is not requiring candidates to have both public safety and economic development experience. Either pathway may be the right fit. The goal is to find an experienced executive who complements the existing leadership team and brings depth, judgment, and leadership capacity in one of these key areas.
The episode also covers Victoria’s full service municipal operations, including water, wastewater, landfill services, residential trash collection, tourism, public safety, parks, infrastructure, and other core city functions. The City has 656 authorized full time employees and a fiscal year 2026 operating budget of approximately $255 million.
Candidates will also hear about Victoria’s workplace culture, employee retention efforts, new public safety investments, strategic planning, master planning, infrastructure work, downtown improvements, parks improvements, and the Victoria 2035 comprehensive plan. Jesus also discusses his leadership style, which he describes as mission driven, transformational, and focused on developing the next generation of leaders.
For candidates preparing for the interview process, the advice is straightforward. Do the research. Victoria has major plans, priorities, and investments already in motion. Candidates who understand the community, the organization, and the opportunity will be better prepared to show how their experience can help Victoria continue its momentum.
Learn more about the Victoria Deputy City Manager opportunity here:
https://clearcareerpro.com/clear-news/victoria-deputy-city-manager-opportunity
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The views and opinions expressed on The Clear Voice do not necessarily reflect those of Clear Career Professionals. The discussion of any company, product, or service is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement.
Connect With Clear Career Professionals
Clear Career Professionals is a Texas based municipal executive search firm specializing in City Manager search services, municipal executive search, and local government leadership consulting for cities and counties across Texas and the United States.
Clear works with communities to recruit City Managers, City Administrators, Assistant City Managers, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Finance Directors, HR Directors, and other senior municipal leaders.
In addition to executive search services, Clear provides local government leadership training, organizational assessments, executive coaching, interim leadership placements, and strategic consulting designed to strengthen city organizations and support effective public service leadership.
Clear partners with city councils, county commissioners, and public sector leadership teams seeking experienced municipal professionals who can guide growing communities, manage complex organizations, and deliver strong public service outcomes.
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