WACO, Texas (KXXV) — The City of Waco has announced the four finalists for the city manager position, following Bradley Ford's resignation.
The finalists will take part in an extensive on-site interview process from Jan. 6 through 8 and will include community tours, employee and stakeholder engagement sessions, meetings with elected and appointed officials, as well as interviews with the Mayor and City Council.
After this process, the Mayor and City Council will choose the next City Manger.
“Waco is a city with strong momentum, and selecting our next City Manager is one of the most important decisions this Council will make. We are fortunate to have an exceptional slate of finalists, each bringing proven leadership experience and a commitment to public service. We look forward to engaging with the finalists and selecting a leader who will build on our progress.”
Deidra Emerson
Deidra Emerson has served the City of Waco in several leadership roles, including deputy City Manager since August 2020 and Assistant City Manager from 2015 to 2020. Emerson has also held positions as Interim Director of the McLennan County Public Health District and Interim Director of the Waco Convention Center & Visitors Bureau. Before coming to Waco, Emerson served for the City of Fort Worth as Municipal Court Services Director and Assistant Director of the Housing Department. Emerson holds a master's degree in business administration with a concentration in organizational behavior and a bachelor's degree in business management, and complete the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education Senior Executive State and Local program.
Ryan Holt
Ryan Holt is currently serving as Assistant City Manager for the City of Waco, which he's been doing since 2020. Before taking on that role, he served as Waco's chief of Police from 2017 to 2020 and Assistant Chief of Police in various capacities from 2008 to 2017. Holt's career with the Waco Police Department started in 1996 and includes numerous leadership and operational roles. Holt holds a master's degree and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (FBINA), the Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP), and holds a Six Sigma certification.
Jared Miller
Jared Miller currently serves as Chief Operating Officer for the Texas Division of Emergency Management in Austin, Texas. Before, Miller served as City Manager for the City of Amarillo from 2017 to 2023, and as City Manager for the City of San Marcos from 2014 to 2017. His prior experience includes leadership roles with the cities of North Richland Hills and Snyder, Texas. Miller holds a master's degree in public administration and a bachelor's degree in political science.
Helen Ramirez
Helen Ramirez has held several leadership roles with the City of Brownsville, including City Manager since 2023 and Interim City Manager from 2022 to 2023. Previously, she served as Deputy City Manager and concurrently as Executive Director and CEO of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation. Earlier in Ramirez's career, she held multiple executive and development leadership positions with the City of Hutto and worked internationally as a Senior Urban Planner and Business Development Manager with Prointec (Indra Systems) in Madrid, Spain. Ramirez holds a bachelor's degree in city and regional planning and maintains both the International City/County Management Association Credentialed manager (ICMA-CM) designation and American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certifications. Ramirez is currently completing her Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) certification Grow America.
