Jordan Wheeler heard a lot about the City of Sandy since 2013, when former
Sandy City Manager Scott Lazenby took the same job for the City of Lake
Oswego, where Wheeler has worked as the Deputy City Manager for the past
10 years.

This month, Wheeler took over Lazenby’s old job in Sandy, ascending to the
City Manager position following the retirement of Kim Yamashita.

“I feel like I’ve heard so many stories and so many good things about Sandy,”
Wheeler said, noting Lazenby encouraged him to apply for the position.

Wheeler was one of three candidates interviewed by the Sandy City Council
during the search for Yamashita’s successor. Yamashita noted that Wheeler’s
experience and personality made him stand out above the others.

“The way he presented himself to the council was open (and) above board,”
she said, adding that he has experience working with the various “players” in
Clackamas County. “(He) seemed like a good fit.”

Wheeler noted that the City of Sandy’s reputation as being innovative and
having a “pioneer spirit,” including with SandyNet (the city’s internet service
provider) and transit, attracted him to the job. He added the combination of
the city’s size, setting, location in relationship to the Metro area and access to
nature and amenities were also draws.

“I can see why people want to move there and live there,” said Wheeler, who
earned a graduate degree in Public Administration from Portland State
University and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from University of
Washington.

Wheeler noted the challenges he faces in his new job include the funding for
the city’s community campus and wastewater issues, while also tackling traffic
problems. But he said he looks forward to working on master plans and with
the community to help shape the city’s future.

He added that he sees opportunities to grow tourism, develop the downtown
to serve both the tourists and city’s residents, and also managing Sandy’s
growth without putting too much of a burden on infrastructure.

Lazenby sees Wheeler as an excellent fit for the job, noting that Wheeler has
been “in the middle” of some of the tough issues with Lake Oswego. Lazenby
went through a similar transition when he arrived in Sandy in 1992 from a
larger city in Arizona and thinks that it will be a smooth changeover for
Wheeler.

“The budget’s smaller, but the same issues we face in cities are pretty much
the same everywhere,” Lazenby said.

Yamashita, whose final day on the job was Dec. 31, helmed the city since
January 2017 after serving as its police chief for the seven years prior, and
noted the city’s advancements in technology and improving the collaboration
amongst department heads as highlights of her tenure.

“I think we forged a really good team and all our oars are in the water moving
in the right direction together,” she said.

Before fully retiring, Yamashita will serve as the Interim Police Chief of the
City of Gladstone until approximately next June, with an eye on moving to
Idaho after.

For more information about the City of Sandy, visit www.ci.sandy.or.us.