SISTERS, OR -- Sisters City Councilors have narrowed their list of candidates for City Manager down to two, out of a pool of more than three dozen applicants. The city has been without a City Manager for about two months. Brant Kucera left in August to take a job in the Midwest. Mayor Chuck Ryan says both finalists to fill the position are incredibly qualified.

Tom Pessemier most recently worked as Assistant City Manager in Sherwood. Mayor Ryan tells KBND News, "He’s never been a City Manager but he has worked in every facet around being a City Manager, including Assistant City Manager and City Manager Pro Tem. He’s been a Community Development Director, he’s been a City Engineer and he’s been a Civil Engineer for the city."

The other candidate is Cory Misley, who has been La Pine’s City Manager since 2016. He was Assistant City Manager for a year before that. "Cory’s obviously a little bit younger in his career, but he’s certainly shown that he’s made a lot of progress and accomplishments in La Pine," says Mayor Ryan. "He knows Oregon, Oregon law, Oregon land use law, he knows all the players in the area and he’s clearly a career-minded individual. We think the fit is very good."

Ryan says everyone is anxious to finish the selection process. "Next week is pretty critical. We’ve got a staff meet and greet, we’ve got a community meet and greet. And then we’ve got, the next day, two interview sessions – one with the entire Council and one with a community panel. And the next day we’re going to make a decision." That community meet and greet is Monday, October 8, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Sisters City Hall. Ryan believes they'll have the new City Manager in place by the end of fall.