Overland Park, KS - City Manager John Nachbar today announced he has tentatively accepted a city manager job with Culver City, Calif.

"It has been an honor and a privilege serving Overland Park, one of the premier cities in the country, and I wish to express my gratitude to the Governing Body and other elected officials I've had the pleasure to serve and work with over the past 10 years," Nachbar said. "I will miss the outstanding prospects and future successes that I know will occur in Overland Park."

"Culver City, a thriving community on the west side of Los Angeles, is enjoying a citywide renaissance as a result of redevelopment efforts begun in the 1990s and is clearly slated for many great future opportunities," said Nachbar. "It's a chance for my family and me to return to California."

Nachbar served as city manager in two cities in California, Albany and Patterson, and deputy city manager of Tucson, Ariz., before coming to Overland Park.

Final details of Nachbar's contract with the Culver City governing body are expected to be approved at a July 12 council meeting. A projected starting date is either late August or early September.

Culver City's population is in excess of 40,000.

"On behalf of the residents, businesses and Governing Body, I want to say congratulations to John. He has served Overland Park very well, helping us become an economically stronger community," said Mayor Carl Gerlach.

"Overland Park is a nationally recognized community that has been ranked as one of the best cities in the country in which to live and work. The City Council and I expect a number of highly qualified candidates to apply for the city manager's job because of Overland Park's noted successes," Gerlach said.

The City Council will discuss at a July 12 meeting the transition and hiring process, Gerlach added.
Nachbar is Overland Park's fourth city manager in 50 years. He started on Jan. 1, 2000.

During Nachbar's tenure, the city built and opened the state-of-the-art Overland Park Soccer Complex, which will host its first national tournament July 20-25; built and financed the Overland Park Convention Center and Sheraton Overland Park Hotel; completed Vision Metcalf, an analysis and plan for redevelopment along an eight-mile stretch of Metcalf Avenue; constructed and opened the Matt Ross Community Center; merged the private fire department with the city in 2003; and completed various improvements to the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead.

During his more than 10 years of leadership, Overland Park spent nearly $650 million on capital improvements including new streets and thoroughfares, sidewalks, and building structures.

Economic development activities included annexation of 18.5 square miles of land; an announcement by Black & Veatch to locate its corporate headquarters in Overland Park and expand its facility; and bringing more than 3,000 new jobs to Overland Park in 2009 and 2010.

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Contact: Mayor Carl Gerlach, 913/895-6104
City Manager John Nachbar, 913/895-6101
Sean Reilly, communications manager, 913/895-6109