Carthage native in running for Branson post

May 11, 2008 09:03 pm

— By Wally Kennedy
wkennedy@joplinglobe.com
A former Carthage resident who has ties to Miami, Okla., and Pittsburg, Kan., is in the running to be the new city administrator at Branson, according to Branson Mayor Raeanne Presley.
The two finalists for the job are Dean Kruithof, deputy city manager at Fort Smith, Ark., and Dan Galloway, city manager at Stillwater, Okla.
Kruithof was born in Carthage, raised in Miami and worked in municipal administration in Pittsburg.
Presley said Branson’s Board of Aldermen will have a public reception for the two finalists within the next two weeks. The reception will give residents and community leaders a chance to met with the candidates in a social setting.
After the reception, the mayor and aldermen will meet to select the new administrator, who could be in office by early summer.
Kruithof has more than 27 years of experience in municipal management at Wichita, Kan., Stillwater, Pittsburg, and DeKalb, Ill. He has been the Fort Smith deputy city administrator since 1999, during a period of strong community growth and development.
Kruithof was cited for his experience with capital-improvement projects, including the development of a convention center, street improvements and the expansion of the regional water supply. He also spearheaded the city’s first comprehensive development plan.
He has a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from Oklahoma State University.
Galloway has 30 years of experience in public administration. Before becoming city manager at Stillwater, he was program director for a joint federal-state planning agency for the Upper Mississippi and Missouri River system. He directed a plan for Congress to balance upgraded locks and dams on the Mississippi River for barge traffic with environmental and rail-industry concerns.
Galloway also has served as city manager for suburban communities in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City metro areas. He has a bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University and a master’s degree in urban planning from Southern Illinois University.