Park City Municipal’s two new deputy city managers have been on the job for a little over two weeks. But David Everitt and Sarah Pearce are not new to the community.
Before being named to his new position, David Everitt was on a part-time contract with the city, working on the Arts and Culture District in Bonanza Park.
Before that, he worked for Salt Lake City, was the City Manager of Moab, and was an interim Administrator for San Juan County. He said that resume has left him with an appreciation for local government.
“I feel like that’s the place where the politics really meets the practicality, and things get done. So I’ve always enjoyed it. And I’ve always loved Park City, having been in Utah for 25 years now. It’s always had a special place in my heart as a place to spend time. I’ve always admired the community and the work that’s been done there. And I look forward to being a part of it moving forward.”
Everitt and Pearce are working in different areas of the city. To some extent, Everitt is taking over the responsibilities of the former Community Development Director, Anne Laurent. He will also continue to be involved with specific projects like the Arts and Culture District, which he said exemplifies many of the city’s priorities, such as affordable housing, transportation, and sustainability.
He and Pearce are both commuters from Salt Lake. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, he communicated through “Zoom” meetings. He said he’s impressed with how the city staff has responded to the current situation.
“It’s been really interesting to try to learn about city precesses, and meet staff, and do that in this slightly awkward context of virtual meetings. But at the same time, I’ve been really impressed with how the city organization has adapted and is continuing to operate and people are really figuring out how to make it work in the context of COVID.”
As for Sarah Pearce, she’s the former Managing Director of the Sundance Institute, and during 17 years with Sundance, worked closely with Park City on organizing the Festival. From 2017 to now, she was head of the Arts and Culture Division of Salt Lake County.
In her new job, she’s working with many of the internal functions of Park City.
“Things like HR, and finance, and budget, and IT and all of the inner workings, internal communications, ensuring that everybody’s connected and supported, and we’re operating as a team, and we can be good, responsive government.”
Sarah Pearce and David Everitt, the new deputy city managers with Park City.
