Steve Powers is the city administrator of Ann Arbor. He was hired in September 2011 and served four years. In September 2015 he accepted a job as city manager for Salem, Oregon, leaving Ann Arbor in November; his last council meeting was November 16, 2015.

Steve Powers at a Sept. 3, 2013 meeting of the Ann Arbor city council. (Photo courtesy of The Ann Arbor Chronicle.)

From December 2013 until his departure in 2015, Powers also served on the board of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, in the position designated for the mayor or city administrator. Previously, the board seat had been held by mayor John Hieftje for 13 years.

Before coming to Ann Arbor, Powers was county administrator for Marquette County, Michigan – a position he held for 15 years, from 1996 to 2011. Other former jobs include county coordinator for Martin County, Minnesota (1994-1996), assistant county administrator in Jackson County, Oregon (1988-1994), and budget analyst in Johnson County, Kansas (1986-1988).

Powers holds a bachelors degree in public administration from Augustana College, and a masters in public administration from the University of Kansas.

He is married to Jayne Amundsen-Powers, an elementary school teacher. They live in Ward 3 on East Stadium Boulevard east of Packard, and Powers frequently walks or rides his bike to work at city hall. The couple has two daughters and a son.

Timeline

  • September 2015: Accepts job as city manager for Salem, Oregon.
  • November 2014: Is a finalist for the city manager's job in Dublin, Ohio. The following month he pulls his name from consideration for that job.
  • Sept. 15, 2011: Begins job as Ann Arbor city administrator.
  • September 1996-September 2011: Serves as county administrator for Marquette County, Michigan.
  • 1994-1996: Serves as county coordinator for Martin County, Minnesota.
  • 1988-1994: Works as assistant county administrator in Jackson County, Oregon.
  • 1986-1988: Works as budget analyst in Johnson County, Kansas.
  • 1984: Earns master's degree in public administration from the University of Kansas.
  • 1982: Earns bachelor's degree in public administration from Augustana College (Rock Island, Illinois).

In the News

Oregon city unanimously approves hiring Ann Arbor's city administrator – MLive, Sept. 15, 2015

Timeline of Steve Powers' 4 years as Ann Arbor's city administrator – MLive, Sept. 6, 2015

City manager finalist identified – Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), Aug. 31, 2015

Ann Arbor City Administrator Announces Resignation – WEMU, Aug. 31, 2015

Ann Arbor city administrator accepts new job in Oregon – MLive, Aug. 30, 2015

Ann Arbor City Administrator Pulls Name From Contention For City Manager Job In Ohio – WEMU, Dec. 8, 2014

Dublin narrows city manager search to 2 finalists – Columbus Business First, Nov. 20, 2014

CEO Podcast: Steve Powers – Ann Arbor SPARK, Sept. 24, 2014

Q&A with Steve Powers: Ann Arbor's city administrator talks about first year on the job – AnnArbor.com, Sept. 16, 2012

City Administrator Steve Powers’ employment agreement available online; won’t draw pension, will earn $145K salary – Ann Arbor Journal, Aug. 17, 2011

City Admin Finalist: Steve Powers – The Ann Arbor Chronicle, July 13, 2011

Towards the end of each of the three interview sessions, time was allotted for candidates to ask questions of the panel. Powers asked all three panels a question about the management style the city of Ann Arbor is seeking. He told them if a county administrator like him was on their short list – he’s been the county administrator of Marquette County, Mich., since 1996 – then that suggested to him councilmembers were looking for someone who had a more participatory, facilitative management style as opposed to a more a strong, CEO-type style.

News references

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