Adam Lenhard will be Park City's new city manager if confirm at the city council meeting March 19. Photo:

PARK CITY, Utah — Mayor Ryan Dickey has selected veteran municipal administrator Adam Lenhard to serve as Park City’s next city manager, pending approval from the Park City Council at their regular meeting next Thursday.

If confirmed, Lenhard would lead Park City Municipal’s administrative operations, overseeing city services, staff, and strategic initiatives beginning March 31.

The appointment follows a nationwide recruitment process conducted with executive search firm Columbia Ltd. that drew more than 70 applicants. Thirteen semifinalists were selected for further review, and five candidates advanced to in-person interviews with the City Council.

Ties to Park City

Lenhard said the opportunity to work in Park City stood out to him because of the community’s unique character and his own personal connection to the area.

This will be the first time in decades a city manager has been brought in as an external hire, though Lenhard says his ties to the area, which date back nearly three decades, have given him a love for the city. After moving to Utah in the late 1990s, his first job in the state was driving an employee shuttle for Park City Mountain Resort.

“That experience just gave me the chance to see so much of the town,” he said. “That’s really where I first fell in love with Park City.”

Lenhard later lived in Park City for a short time with his family and says they still visit regularly.

Municipal background

Lenhard began his career in municipal government after earning a degree in land use planning and resource management from Brigham Young University. He first worked for Clearfield, Utah, where he served as community development director before being promoted in 2011 to city manager, at the time becoming the youngest city manager in Utah.

In 2018, he was hired as city manager for St. George, Utah, where he managed budgeting, infrastructure, and operational initiatives for the fast-growing southern Utah city.

His tenure in St. George ended in 2022 after a dispute with city leaders over a permit for a drag show tied to the HBO series We’re Here. Lenhard declined a request from city council members to revoke the permit, saying doing so could violate First Amendment protections and expose the city to a discrimination lawsuit. The disagreement ultimately led to his departure and a negotiated settlement with the city.

Managing growth and opportunities

Lenhard said growth management was a constant challenge in St. George, something he expects will look different in Park City.

“Growth has to be managed very carefully,” he said. “In St. George there was a much more growth-focused mindset politically. I don’t think that will be the same in Park City. I think in Park City it will be much more careful.”

Lenhard said his role will be to work with elected leaders to guide development in a way that protects what residents value most about the community.

Since leaving St. George, Lenhard has worked as a director in the private-sector construction industry. He said he looks forward to returning to municipal leadership.

“I’m definitely looking to the mayor and council for their priorities and how they want to see the city grow and make sure we do it in the right way,” he said. “So that we keep Park City, Park City.”

He also pointed to the 2034 Winter Olympics, which Salt Lake City and surrounding venues are set to host, as one of the city’s biggest opportunities in the coming years.

“Eight years is going to go by very quickly,” Lenhard said. “I think everyone knows now’s the time we have to start focusing on that right away.”

He said he plans to live in Park City and hopes to meet residents throughout the community.

“I love to listen. I love to learn,” he said. “I think I’ve got something to learn from everybody I meet.”