Good vibe expected from new Modesto city manager

Greg Nyhoff, in a visit to this city a few months ago, noticed the Modesto Nuts was a farm club of the Colorado Rockies in his home state.

That was hardly the only reason Nyhoff sought the Modesto city manager's job. But assets such as minor league ball clubs, libraries and community centers are things that Nyhoff seems to care about along with managing large capital projects and municipal operations.

People who have worked with Nyhoff — in small cities and large — say Modestans can expect a competent, personable manager who is easy to work with and likes to be visible in the community.

He starts his job in Modesto on June 1.

"He is extremely professional, he is very kind, he is comprehensive in his approach," said Penelope Culbreth-Graft, city manager of Colorado Springs. "He considers the human element on the employee side and considers how issues affect people in the community."

Since July 2006, Nyhoff has been the assistant city manager in Colorado Springs, which also has a Colorado Rockies farm club. He was one of the front- runners to become the top executive for Colorado Springs but in November the job went to Culbreth-Graft, who came from Southern California.

Nyhoff spent 14 years as city manager of two smaller cities, Fountain, Colo., and Montague, Mich., and his desire to be the top manager again drew him to the Modesto position, he said.

In Fountain, he led an effort resulting in an All-American City Award in 2002 that reflects how the city matured during his eight years there. The National Civic League recognized the city for having a plan to address rapid growth and development issues, for youth initiatives, and a community center that offers recreation, education and health care services.

Nyhoff said he enjoyed working with the school district and groups such as the YMCA to convert a building for the community center.

"People believing in themselves is the best way to improve the image of a community," he said. "If people want the community's image to improve, they will work together to do that."

During his tenure, Fountain grew from 13,000 to more than 20,000 residents. According to city officials, Nyhoff worked with the area library system to open a branch library and a new city hall was built.

"He was always a pleasure to work around," said Dave Smedsrud, Fountain's deputy city manger and planning director. "He likes to delegate. He picks members of the management team and gives them the tools to do their job."

Smedsrud said the city has a "smart growth" approach to managing its 7 percent to 8 percent annual growth rate. That means growth with a mix of homes, shopping outlets and places to work, with a high level of services, while minimizing environmental impact.

Nyhoff and his wife, Cindy, a school board member, live in Fountain and are considered leaders in the community, a councilman said.

"During Greg's time here, the city really moved forward," said Councilman Bryan Johnson. "He hired city staff who are still here today and are pushing things forward. I hate to see him leave the community, but I know this is a great opportunity for him."

Nyhoff also has worked in larger ponds. He was operations manager for a government serving the 22,000-acre Highland Ranch Metropolitan District, a Denver-area planned community with 90,000 residents.

In Colorado Springs, a city of more than 400,000 residents, he manages several city departments with more than 700 employees and $200 million in operational and capital budgets. In the past two years, he worked on a stormwater enterprise fund that generates $15 million a year for stormwater improvements.