New employees at city hall

There are some new faces at Maricopa City Hall.

Queen Creek resident Cynthia Seelhammer was hired through a temporary placement agency to serve as interim assistant city manager, and Marcus Mendes has moved from San Diego to be the new code compliance officer.

Seelhammer replaces Roger Kolman, who resigned in December, and Mendes replaces Brian Duncan, who resigned in October.

Mendes worked the past two years for Lockheed Martin Corp. under a contract with the U.S. Navy. As a weapons specialist, he helped manage a weapons logistics program.

Before working for Lockheed Martin, he was a code compliance officer for Mendocino County, Calif., and also worked as a code compliance supervisor for the Los Angeles Community Development Department.

More than 200 people applied for the job and Mendes was selected from eight candidates interviewed.

“I applied for the job because I saw Maricopa as a progressive and growing city and believed the job was a good match with my background,” he said.

He started his job Jan. 9.

Mendes said one of his goals is to further organize a volunteer program so that some of the basic issues facing the city, such as graffiti removal, are shared with residents.

Mendes said he currently is looking at codes in other jurisdictions to see how they might enhance the codes in Maricopa, and working with the Heritage District Citizens Advisory Committee.

Mendes lives in Maricopa with his wife and two children.

“I want to live and work in same the place,” he said. “We looked at some areas and thought Maricopa made the most sense.”

Seelhammer has been the interim assistant city manager since Dec. 27. She was hired through Interim Public Management, a placement agency based in Fountain Hills.

Seelhammer said an organization will contact the placement firm about its needs, and the firm sends resumes it thinks will make a good fit.

Last winter, Seelhammer worked as the interim town manager for Tusayan, a newly incorporated town near the entrance to the Grand Canyon.

“I helped them get started; I am a retired city manager,” she said.

Seelhammer retired two years ago as a Phoenix deputy city manager. Previously, she was Queen Creek’s town manager for 13 years, where she has lived for 30 years.

She is originally from Minnesota.