The assembly has hired Mason Villarma as borough manager.
Mason Villarma, the interim borough manager since November, is no longer interim: The assembly has agreed to offer him the job.
In an executive session March 19, the assembly interviewed three applicants - two from out of state - and ultimately decided to proceed with contract negotiations with Villarma.
Mayor Patty Gilbert and Vice Mayor David Powell will negotiate a contract, which will likely come before the assembly for approval at the April 9 meeting.
Villarma went to work as finance director in September 2021 and has been serving as both finance director and interim borough manager since November 2023 when Jeff Good stepped down.
Villarma moved to Wrangell full time in 2021 after spending summers here to visit family and work aboard fishing boats.
He worked almost two years for a large accounting firm in Washington state before moving to Wrangell and holds a bachelor's degree in business administration.
In an interview, Villarma said his goals for Wrangell are growth and prosperity. The borough has acquired more than $8.6 million in state and federal grants in the past year and has applied for more than $45 million in project grants for next year, he said.
His priorities as borough manager include maintenance projects the borough has needed for a while including the water treatment plant and water reservoir dams, repairs to the Public Safety Building, and road and underground infrastructure improvements. Much of the water and sewer lines and drainage systems under the roads have not been touched in two decades, Villarma said.
Wrangell has been heavily reliant on state and federal funding, and part of the challenge is being creative with the limited funds, the new manager said. Ultimately, one of his goals is for Wrangell to become as financially independent as possible.
He speaks of Wrangell's future with excitement. Villarma described himself as bold and a risk taker in terms of his plans for the borough. "Complacency is not an option," he said, adding that if Wrangell is complacent, it may as well move backward.
At 27, he is likely the youngest borough manager Wrangell has ever seen. Villarma said he wants to be judged on his competency rather than his age, adding that there are a lot of benefits to having a young manager like new perspectives, ideas and energy.
One aspect of the job he is excited about is to negotiate deals to bring jobs to the community and bring in big capital projects.
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