Jason Gage named finalist for city manager role in St. Joseph

The city of Springfield's outgoing city manager has been named as a finalist for the same role in St. Joseph.

Jason Gage is one of four finalists for the St. Joseph city manager job, according to a news release from the northwest Missouri municipality. The field was narrowed down from 26 candidates from 15 states in a nationwide search led by government consulting firm Strategic Government Resources.

Gage in October announced he would resign as Springfield's city manager on Jan. 11, 2025. Gage, with 25-plus years of experience, has been city manager of Springfield since 2018. He manages a $507 million budget and oversees a staff of more than 2,100. Previously, he was city manager of Salina, Kansas, from 2005-18 and of Stillwater, Oklahoma, from 2003-05. Gage recently was among four finalists for the city manager position in Manhattan, Kansas. However, he exited from the running for that role before a selection was made.

The other finalists for the St. Joseph city manager role are as follows:
• Robert S. Cowell Jr. has more than 30 years of local government management experience and most recently served as city manager in Roanoke, Virginia.
• Darron J. Leiker served as the longtime city manager of Wichita Falls, Texas, 2005-24.
• Mike Schumacher has more than 34 years of local government experience, currently serving as city administrator in Lebanon.

The selected candidate would succeed Bryan Carter, who stepped down as St. Joseph’s city manager in September. The four finalists are slated to participate in on-site interviews Dec. 10-11, according to the release.

The city of St. Joseph has a total population of 72,198, according to the city's website. The city's current budget projects $212.2 million in operating and capital expenditures.

The city of Springfield has hired Strategic Government Resources to assist in the search for Gage’s successor, said city spokesperson Cora Scott.

“City Council has not yet selected an interim city manager, and beyond that there is nothing additional to report,” Scott said via email. “When an interim selection is made, it will be publicly announced in a timely fashion.”