Here's a chance to meet the 3 finalists for Dallas' city manager job

The City of Dallas has narrowed down the search for a new city manager to three candidates and is offering residents the opportunity to meet them in person.

The finalists are as follows: William Johnson, Mario Lara, and current Interim City Manager Kimberly Tolbert. The sessions will be held from January 11-12.

There were originally four finalists but two — Zachary Williams from Georgia and Mark Washington from Michigan — dropped out.

Dallas has been without a replacement for city manager since May 2024, when T.C. Broadnax left the position for a role as city manager in Austin. Tolbert has served as interim city manager ever since.

The City Council Ad Hoc Committee for Administrative Affairs invites residents to participate in three Meet and Greet community input sessions to hear candidates' perspectives on the future of Dallas:

• Saturday, January 11, 10 am – Dallas City Hall at Main Lobby, 1500 Marilla St.
• Saturday, January 11, 3 pm – Singing Hills Recreation Center at 6805 Patrol Way
• Sunday, January 12, 1 pm – Fretz Recreation Center at 6950 Belt Line Rd.

“These sessions provide an invaluable opportunity for our community to meet the candidates and share their vision for the future of Dallas,” says the release.

About the candidates:

• William Johnson: Johnson serves as assistant city manager for Fort Worth overseeing economic development, police, public events, and the City’s water utility since 2019. Previous leadership positions include serving as the deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner for the City of Atlanta, and as director of the Baltimore Department of Transportation. He also has senior leadership experience in the private sector, specializing in emergency services.
• Mario Lara: Lara serves as Sacramento's assistant city manager for public safety overseeing the police, fire, emergency management, and community response departments since May of 2022, previously serving as director of Youth, Parks & Community Enrichment for nearly three years. Additional local leadership experience includes positions in the Riverside City Manager’s office, parks, recreation and community services department, and with San Bernardino County.
• Kimberly Tolbert: Tolbert currently serves as interim city manager for Dallas since May 2024, previously serving as deputy city manager overseeing aviation, communication and marketing, water utilities, human resources, and the Office of Homeless Solutions. Earlier roles with Dallas include chief of staff, serving as assistant city manager, responsible for risk management, Office of Community Care, police oversight, and governmental affairs. Her career also includes nearly 10 years in executive roles with the North Texas Tollway Authority.

All residents and community members are encouraged to participate and share their perspectives at the events.