At age 54, Fisher figured that any career move he made would be the last one before he retires. Fisher has served as Summit County manager for 7.5 years, which he says is longer than usual for such a position.
“All jobs have cycles. I mean, if you think about the how long managers kind of last in these jobs, the average is about six years. So, I've been very lucky to surpass that with Summit County. And, you know, I'm 54 years old. And if I was ever going to make another career move and take on a different challenge, it's probably the right time in my career to do that. You know, I've been through several cycles in Summit County and enjoyed everyone and love the support that I get here. But, you know, sometimes you're just looking for something a little different.”
Fisher started as Summit County manager in 2015. He’s only the second person to serve as manager after voters changed the county’s form of government from a three-member commission to a five-member council/manager format in 2006.
Frisco is a community of about 2,900 residents compared to about 42,000 here in Utah. Frisco’s budget is about $24 million compared to Summit County’s $65 million budget.
Fisher says despite the smaller budget, he will do what he’s done here: Develop staff to provide good service to residents.
“You know, from that standpoint, the size of the community doesn't matter. Now. The difference? You know, I don't really know the difference yet, because I've never managed a town. But you know, I think you have the ability to be a little closer to the community, a little bit more involved, and perhaps in a smaller community that would even be more different than what I've experienced in county management. That piece of it is intriguing to me as well.
He said he’s confident Summit County will be in good hands.
“The county is well-positioned, no matter whether I got run over by a bus tomorrow or not. So, you know, that's, that's when I said that I enjoyed developing people. I mean, that's one of the things that I've been working on for the past seven years is, you know, a big part of my job is making sure that the organization can do its job, whether I'm at the head of it, or whether I'm not at the head of it, and I believe that they are there. And I believe the council feels that they're there as well.
While he is leaving with unfinished business, he says he hopes to finish recruiting new personnel and getting the High Valley Transit board to the point where it’s ready to break ground on a new facility before he departs.
Before taking the job in Summit County, Fisher worked for 13 years in Grand Junction, and his wife has family living near Denver whom they’re happy to be closer to. Fisher’s last day in Summit County will be July 29th.
