Ruidoso, NM Director Opportunities PositionCast™
Episode 55 of The Clear Voice is LIVE!
Summary
What does it take to lead a community through recovery, growth, and long-term transformation, and what kind of leaders are needed to make that happen?
In this PositionCast™ episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom, Host of The Clear Voice, is joined by recruiter Kelly Kuenstler for a conversation with Mayor Lynn Crawford and City Manager Ron Sena of Ruidoso, New Mexico.
Together, they provide a look at three director-level opportunities and the environment candidates will step into. The discussion explores Ruidoso’s recent challenges, including fires and flooding, and the progress made in rebuilding infrastructure and stabilizing operations.
The conversation also highlights leadership expectations within a team-oriented organization that values transparency, collaboration, and service to the community. From economic development to financial oversight and water resource management, each role plays a critical part in shaping the next phase of Ruidoso’s growth.
This community is ready for new ideas to move it into the future!
A Community at a Turning Point
Ruidoso is a small mountain community with big aspirations.
Located in the Lincoln National Forest at elevations between 6,500 and 12,000 feet, the Village blends natural beauty with a tourism-driven economy. It serves as a destination for both weekend visitors and long-term seasonal residents, particularly from Texas.
Recent years have brought major challenges, including wildfires and flooding that destroyed over 1,300 homes. In response, the Village has secured substantial federal and state funding and is now actively rebuilding infrastructure, housing, and long-term resilience systems.
At the same time, Ruidoso is advancing major initiatives, including a $145 million green energy project, expansion of the regional airport, and hosting international events such as Ironman and XTERRA.
This is not a maintenance phase. This is transformation.
The Opportunities
Three director-level roles are open, each playing a critical role in the Village’s future.
Economic Development Director
Newly created position reporting to the City Manager. Focused on business recruitment, strategic growth, and long-term economic planning. Expected to grow into a larger department over time.
Chief Financial Officer
Oversees a $152 million budget and finance team. Critical role in grant management, audits, and maintaining the Village’s strong financial standing.
Water Resources Director
Highly specialized role overseeing water rights, conservation, and long-term sustainability. Works closely with technical experts and operations teams.
Leadership Culture and Expectations
Ruidoso operates with a high-performance, team-oriented culture.
Leadership expectations include collaboration across departments, transparency with elected officials and the public, responsiveness to residents, and the ability to operate in a fast-paced environment.
The organization emphasizes hiring strong people, providing support, and allowing them to lead. Departments are expected to work together, not in silos.
What Candidates Should Know
This is a small town environment with big responsibilities.
Candidates should understand the Village’s recovery from fires and floods, review key planning documents, and be prepared for a tourism-driven workload that includes seasonal demands.
This is local government at its most direct. Your work will have a visible impact on the community.
Why Ruidoso
Ruidoso offers the opportunity to build a meaningful career in a place where leadership matters.
It is a community where you can see the results of your work, be part of a close-knit team, and help shape the future during a critical period of growth and recovery.
Connect With Clear Career Professionals
Clear Career Professionals is a Texas-based municipal executive search firm specializing in City Manager search services, municipal executive search, and local government leadership consulting for cities and counties across Texas and the United States. Clear works with communities to recruit City Managers, City Administrators, Assistant City Managers, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Finance Directors, HR Directors, and other senior municipal leaders.
Clear’s approach, known as the Clear Way, is a candidate-focused recruiting model designed to attract both active and passive candidates while maintaining strong communication throughout the process. This includes consistent engagement with applicants, clear expectations, and a commitment to transparency for both candidates and hiring organizations.
In addition to executive search services, Clear provides leadership development and training, organizational reviews, executive coaching, interim leadership placements, promotional assessments, compensation studies, and strategic consulting. These services are built to help cities and counties strengthen internal operations, develop future leaders, and align organizational structure with community expectations.
Clear also produces The Clear Voice podcast and PositionCast™ episodes, which are designed to elevate leadership conversations and bring executive-level career opportunities to life. These platforms provide insight into local government leadership, organizational culture, and the real-world challenges facing today’s public sector executives.
Clear partners with city councils, county commissioners, and executive leadership teams seeking experienced professionals who can guide growing communities, manage complex organizations, and deliver strong public service outcomes.
Website:https://clearcareerpro.com/
Career Opportunities:https://clearcareerpro.com/career-opportunities/
Recruitment Services:https://clearcareerpro.com/recruitment/
Services: https://clearcareerpro.com/services/
The Clear Voice Podcast:https://theclearvoice.podbean.com/
LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/company/clear-career-pro
