Town of Vail brings back Zemler as interim town manager

The Town of Vail on Wednesday issued the following press release on former Town Manager Stan Zemler serving as interim town manager following the resignation of current manager Scott Robson:

The Vail Town Council is making arrangements to hire former Vail Town Manager Stan Zemler to serve as interim town manager following the resignation of current manager Scott Robson.

A contract for Zemler’s services will be reviewed at the April 5 Town Council meeting which will outline a scope of employment for up to six months beginning April 18.

On March 4, Robson announced he was stepping down from Vail’s top post after being recruited to become Telluride’s next town manager. Robson has been Vail’s town manager since Nov. 1, 2019. His resignation is effective the first week of April. 

Vail Mayor Kim Langmaid says that after Zemler was approached by members of the Town Council, he was intrigued by the prospect of returning on a temporary basis to build upon the momentum Robson has created during his two-and-a-half years in Vail. This includes working with the staff on key projects taking place, including redevelopment of Timber Ridge Village Apartments, implementation of the Civic Area Plan, completion of The Residences at Main Vail, adoption of a Destination Stewardship Plan, recruitment and retention of town employees and other ongoing initiatives. 

“We know Stan Zemler will be able to hit the ground running and keep all of the balls in the air while we execute a thoughtful search process for our next manager,” said Langmaid. “Stan is familiar with the opportunities ahead of us and he will be able to call upon existing relationships he forged while he was here previously which will be incredibly valuable,” she said. Zemler served as Vail town manager for 13 years, resigning in 2017.

Robson says it has been an “absolute pleasure” to serve the Town of Vail. “My time over the next few weeks will focus on helping with a smooth transition which will be helped by the fact we have such a strong leadership team here at the town,” he said. The Town Council is reviewing proposals from executive search firms and will make a selection at its April 5 meeting to begin the recruitment process for a full-time manager for the town. Langmaid says the search will be used to identify experienced professionals who have the qualities that align with the community’s values.Click here for more information