Austin City Manager Announces Deputy City Manager

Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk has selected Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde as Deputy City Manager, completing his final step in reorganizing his executive team to align with Austin’s Strategic Direction.

Rivera-Vandermyde will oversee departments and projects focused on Government that Works for All and will advise the City Manager in carrying out City Council policies.

Rivera-Vandermyde currently serves as the City Coordinator for the City of Minneapolis, after serving previously as the City’s Deputy City Coordinator. In her role, she helps ensure major citywide projects are aligned across the organization and reflect the business needs of all City departments.

Key highlights of her accomplishments during her tenure in Minneapolis include leading the City’s Minimum Wage and Safe & Sick Leave ordinances, creation of a Division of Race and Equity for the City of Minneapolis, passage of the City’s first Strategic and Racial Equity Action Plan, overhaul of the City’s performance management program, development of the City’s comprehensive tiered licensing system, establishment of the Transgender Equity Council, and successful transition of homeless encampment to a service-rich Navigation Center.

An attorney by profession, Rivera-Vandermyde brings over 20 years of executive experience in both the public and private sectors. Rivera-Vandermyde earned her B.A. at Amherst College and her J.D. from New York University School of Law.

Prior to entering the public sector, Rivera-Vandermyde’s experience included international consulting specializing in judicial and regulatory compliance, oversight of the correctional system in Puerto Rico as Deputy Commissioner, CEO of a non-profit healthcare corporation charged with providing healthcare services to over 14,000 inmates, and private practice experience as a corporate litigator in Boston, MA. Rivera-Vandermyde will start her new role on October 1, 2019.

“Nuria brings a wide array of experience and I am confident that, based on her numerous accomplishments, she will be able to work collaboratively across our community and the organization,” Cronk said. “As the Deputy City Manager overseeing a government that works for all efforts, Nuria will be instrumental in helping us expand upon our efforts to make our city government ethical, innovative, equitable, and accessible to all.”

The process to restructure the City Manager’s Office around Strategic Direction 2023 outcomes started in July 2018. An open recruitment was conducted for four Assistant City Manager positions and one Deputy City Manager.

The City released a survey asking the community what skills and characteristics they felt were most important for City leaders to possess. Cronk also solicited additional feedback from the quality of life commissions and community groups related to the areas of responsibility of each Assistant City Manager. Survey responses combined with commission and community group feedback helped build the job posting and candidate profiles.

The selection of Rivera-Vandermyde as Deputy City Manager completes the final vacancy on Cronk’s executive team which includes Rodney Gonzales, Assistant City Manager for economic opportunity and affordability; Chris Shorter, Assistant City Manager for health & environment and culture & lifelong learning; Gina Fiandaca, Assistant City Manager for mobility; and Rey Arellano, Assistant City Manager for safety.

“I am proud of the team I’ve assembled,” Cronk stated. “I believe my team embodies the knowledge, diversity, and skills necessary to serve this community and advance outcomes articulated in Strategic Direction 2023.”

Since taking over as City Manager, Cronk has filled a number of key vacancies, including Brian Manley as Austin Police Chief, Joel Baker as Austin’s Fire Chief, Jackie Yaft as Aviation Director at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Farah Muscadin as the Director of the Office of Police Oversight, Stephanie Hayden as Director of Austin Public Health, and Veronica Briseño as Economic Development Department Director.

Elaine Hart, currently serving as both the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer, will remain a critical member of the City Manager’s Executive Team and will continue in her role as Chief Financial Officer until her planned retirement.