Kings Mountain welcomes new city manager
The city of Kings Mountain has announced its selection of a new city manager after an extensive nationwide search.
Jim Palenick will assume the role Jan. 3 following the retirement of Marilyn Sellers who has spent 34 years serving the city, with 17 of those as city manager.
Palenick, who will be relocating from Michigan, is no stranger to the area and spent part of his career as city manager of Gastonia in 2007 and then as chief administrative officer of Dallas in 2012.
After four years spent serving the city of Dallas, Palenick moved back to the Midwest and spent a few years in Racine, Wisconsin, and Middletown, Ohio.
“I'm just really humbled by the opportunity to be able to come back to an area I have a real familiarity with and I really enjoyed,” he said.
Palenick is looking forward to being a part of the leadership team at a time when big things are on the horizon for the city.
“There’s a lot of real positives,” he said. “It's a great growing area, wonderful climate. I’ve made great relationships over time there and have a sense of the area and background that will be helpful.”
He said the city has an incredible asset by owning all the utilities, which gives it unique opportunities for control and economic development. Further attractions include its location near larger metropolitan areas such as Charlotte, Asheville and Greenville, the building of the Catawba Two Kings Casino and the potential reopening of the lithium mine.
“It’s really a place for the future,” Palenick said. “I really want to express my gratitude to the mayor and City Council for giving me this opportunity.”
His starting salary is $175,781.
Mayor Scott Neisler said they are excited to welcome Palenick to the role of city manager following 17 years of success under the management of Sellers.
“We're looking forward to the next chapter as growth is starting to accelerate, and we think we have the right man for the job,” Neisler said. “It was unanimously approved by the City Council.”
He said Palenick’s prior experience and track record of leading cities during times of great growth as well as his familiarity with the area made him the ideal candidate.
Sellers announced her plans to retire during the May budget work session but agreed to work through January in order to assist with the transition.
According to the city, there are more than 100 city manager vacancies across the state which meant casting a wider net to fill the role.
“Due to the urgency to find a qualified candidate, City Council reached out to Developmental Associates to coordinate a nationwide search for the role,” stated a press release from the city.
Developmental Associates is an organizational development company that partners with governmental, educational, and non-profit organizations for executive recruitment.
The city received 31 applications with 21 who met the minimum qualifications. City Council selected 15 for phone interviews and three onsite interviews.
Palenick was born and raised in Allegan, a small town in southwest Michigan, and graduated from Western Michigan University with a bachelors of science in public administration and economics and a masters in public administration before beginning his career in local government administration.
That career spans more than 30 years in public service.
Palenick’s career began with small communities in his home state of Michigan. From there, he moved to Rio Rancho, New Mexico, a small town with a big company — Intel. As Intel grew, the city grew as well. During his tenure, Rio Rancho was listed as one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. and multiple municipal projects were completed including a $47 million multi-purpose event center arena, $17 million City Hall built, new central library, an aquatic center, and millions in new streets, water and sewer infrastructure.
Rebecca Sitzes can be reached at rsitzes@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Kings Mountain welcomes new city manager
