City of Manhattan names an Interim Finance Director

Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr has announced that Human Resources Director Tammy Galvan will also serve as Interim Finance Director effective immediately. She replaces long-time Finance Director Bernie Hayen, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Galvan will hold both titles for the foreseeable future.

The City plans to reopen the position as the post COVID-19 period stabilizes and supports the recruitment environment both financially and from an overall confidence perspective.

The decision to appoint an interim director was made to allow time for the city to fully examine the finance department structure to better meet the needs of the organization. The City will continue evaluating the overall staffing structure and functions of the department, with an emphasis on updating titles, positions, job functions, and reporting structures to promote efficiency and effectiveness for the Finance Department. 

“The City’s finance operations are critical for the entire organization as well as the community,” said City Manager Ron Fehr.  “We plan to take advantage of this interim period to make sure the department is structured appropriately and create a more delineated focus for duties and responsibilities.”

Under the direction of the Deputy City Manager, the Finance Director is responsible for the leadership, management, and general oversight of the Finance Department, including budgeting, accounting, purchasing and property management, payroll, accounts payable, investments, and revenue collection as well as Information Technology. Galvan will also be tasked with reorganizing the department into new categories of work and job functions as well as creating a new flow of information and training.

“There is a lot of human resource work intermingled with the Finance  Department functions making it timely to have an experienced HR professional leading the process,” said Fehr.

Galvan began work with the city in 2011 when she was hired as a Human Resources Generalist. She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with concentration in Human Resource Management along with national HR certifications. Galvan was promoted to the position of Human Resources Director in 2018.
“I am excited for the new challenge,” said Tammy Galvan. “I care very deeply about the employees and will do my best to empower them to grow into their new roles during this transition.”

To assist with the increased workload, Human Resources Generalist BJ Thompson will be promoted to Assistant Director of Human Resources. Thompson has been with the City since 2019.

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