Yuma, Arizona – Yuma Deputy City Administrator Ron Corbin will be the next manager of the northern Arizona city of Cottonwood, Cottonwood announced Friday.
Corbin was promoted to Yuma’s deputy city administrator in September 2017 after having directed the City’s Human Resources department and then also briefly leading the City’s Information Technology Services department on an interim basis.
“I have very mixed emotions as it saddens me to leave such a great organization as the City of Yuma, but I am excited about the opportunity to serve the City of Cottonwood as their next city manager,” Corbin said. “I am thankful to Mr. Wilkinson for giving the opportunity to serve as his Human Resources director, CIO, and finally his deputy administrator. I also need to thank the mayor and City Council for their leadership and guidance of this organization. And most importantly I am proud to have worked with some of the finest public servants around. I will miss them all.”
City Administrator Greg Wilkinson congratulated Corbin on his appointment, noting it was an accomplishment Corbin had been working toward.
“It has been one of Ron’s goals to become a city manager. We talked it about when I brought him on as deputy,” Wilkinson said. “I’m happy for him and sad at the same time.”
Wilkinson indicated he will announce a transition plan early next week.
Corbin is the second person this decade to rise from the ranks of City staff to be named manager of another city. In 2014, Brant Hanson, then manager of the City’s Neighborhood Services division, became manager of the city of Ephraim, Utah.
“I think that speaks highly for our organization,” Wilkinson said. “In the last interview process for deputy there was no on close to our internal candidates. I knew it would not be long before Ron landed a city administrator job.”
Corbin had been with the City since July 2014. That month marked a return to Yuma for Corbin, who had served as the assistant director of HR for Yuma County prior to directing the human resources department in the town of Oro Valley.