WILLISTON, N.D. – Mayor Howard Klug announced that Shawn Wenko will take over as full time City Administrator, following a months-long recruitment and hiring process by the City of Williston and executive recruitment firm SGR.
Mayor Klug made the announcement at a press conference on Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at City Hall. Shawn was one of four final candidates for the City Administrator position, alongside City of Williston Airport Director Anthony Dudas. Two external candidates withdrew from consideration in April.
“It’s been a long-time coming,” Mayor Klug stated. “We took our time, and even though we lost a few key people, we wanted to make sure we had the right fit. Shawn Wenko has proven himself as Interim and will continue to do a fine job for our city as Administrator.”
Shawn has been serving as Interim City Administrator since December 2022. He has also been serving as the City’s Executive Director for Economic Development and has worked in that capacity since 2014. Shawn’s career started in 2008 with the City of Willison as the Workforce Development Coordinator.
“It is an honor to be chosen as the next City Administrator for Williston,” Shawn commented. “Having been born and raised in this community and now raising a family of my own, there is a personal bond here that extends beyond the professional aspect of the position. It is important to me to see Williston continue to grow and reach its potential as a leading city in North Dakota and beyond. I look forward to working the commission, the departments and the entire community.”
Shawn has a Master’s Degree in Tourism Administration (Sustainable Destination Development) from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Administration from the Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota.
For more information on this story, please contact Mitch Melberg, Communications Director, at 701.713.3800 or [email protected].