Fort Smith Board to interview deputy administrators for top city job

Just a week after firing Carl Geffken as city administrator, the Fort Smith Board of Directors will on Tuesday (Dec. 17) interview Interim City Administrator Jeff Dingman and Deputy City Administrator Maggie Rice for the top job.

The city announced Friday (Dec. 13) that the two interviews, to be conducted in executive session, were approved by a majority of directors to be added to the Dec. 17 regular meeting agenda.

However, it is unclear if board members intend to limit the search to internal candidates or conduct a national search for the next city administrator. Geffken’s annual salary was $204,513.

Director André Good said he thinks the the interviews are just part of a process that begins the search for the next city administrator.

“I don’t know that we are looking to actually hire anyone at the next meeting. It’s an interview. I think it’s discussion on next steps, succession planning and, yes, deciding if we seek outside candidates,” Good said. “I believe the call for interviews, again in my opinion, gives the board opportunity to hear from our deputy city administrators. I certainly don’t want them to feel overlooked but I also don’t want to push either of them to step into a position they may not be quite ready for at this time.”

Director Lavon Morton said he is unsure what action, if any, the board takes following the executive session interviews. He is not fully supportive of a national search.

“I think it’s important that we continue the progress we are making right now in the city, and explore people we know before we consider any kind of national search, which will be slow and has the potential to be very disruptive to the city,” Morton said.

Director Kevin Settle also said the Tuesday interviews are part of the process to find the right person for the job.

“Tuesday night interviews are part of the process for our search for the next city administrator. The board will be able to talk to both of our deputy city administrators and gauge their interest in the position. The board has been receiving emails from citizens about having a nationwide search for the position and that is definitely something that we will be discussing. Choosing the right city administrator will be important to the future of our city as we bring the F-35 mission to our city along with the challenges with our consent decree,” Settle said.

Dingman, named the interim city administrator following Geffken’s firing, has been a deputy city administrator since 2011. Dingman has had two jobs in Fort Smith. After working in the city manager’s office in University Park, Texas, for two years, he was hired by then County Judge David Hudson in 1999 as assistant county administrator, where he worked for four years. He left that job to be the city administrator of Baldwin City, Kan., before returning to Fort Smith in 2011 as deputy city administrator, according to City of Fort Smith information.

Dingman, a native of Eudora, Kan., is a member of the International City/County Management Association, and received a 25-year service award in 2022. He was certified as an ICMA – Credentialed Manager in 2006, and is active with the Arkansas City/County Management Association. He also is a member of the Leadership Fort Smith Class of 2015.

Rice has been a deputy city administrator since September 2024. A Fort Smith native, she has worked for the Fort Smith Planning Department for 17 years and has been the director of development for the past four years, according to city info.

She earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Arkansas, and is a graduate of the 2009 Leadership Fort Smith class. In 2013, she was recognized by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal as a rising, young professional “Forty under 40” honoree.

She serves on the Community Advisory Board for Baptist Health, is a mentor at Darby Middle School, and is a Girl Scout troop leader. Previously, she’s served on the Leadership Fort Smith Alumni Board and as president of Young Emerging Leaders.