Waco City Council closed the books on a monthslong city manager search Tuesday, selecting police department and City Hall veteran Ryan Holt from a pool of four finalists.
Holt has served as Waco’s assistant city manager since 2020, following a more than two-decade career with the Waco Police Department, where he ended as chief.
Holt’s contract begins Jan. 30 with an annual salary set at $345,000.
“It’s a great honor,” Holt told The Waco Bridge in an interview after the meeting.
Feb. 5 will mark Holt’s 30th year as an employee of Waco, he said, “so I’m all in on this organization and there’s nothing that gives me greater joy than to watch our team serve the community.”
Holt is taking over for current Waco City Manager Bradley Ford, who announced his resignation in September. Ford cited difficulties reconciling the demands of the position with the responsibilities of fatherhood.
“Ryan Holt has demonstrated steady leadership, strong operational expertise, and a deep understanding of Waco’s organization and community,” said Waco Mayor Jim Holmes in a Tuesday press release.
“Throughout the selection process, he distinguished himself through his commitment to transparency, collaboration, and service,” Holmes said. “City Council is confident that Ryan is the right leader to guide Waco forward.”
Holt said he hopes his appointment represents continuity and stability for Waco and city employees, he said, praising the work of Ford, his predecessor.
That continuity extends to the financial challenges facing the city and its manager, Holt said.
“You have a tightening economy. We have years of delayed infrastructure needs,” Holt said. “Just as things have gotten more expensive for consumers and our residents, things have also gotten more expensive for the city to do, and I think there are increasing expectations as to what the city will do.”
The finalists for the position included Waco Deputy City Manager Diedra Emerson; Jared Miller, the chief operating officer for the Texas Division of Emergency Management; and Helen Ramirez, the former city manager of Brownsville.
A reception for Ford, “celebrating his contributions to the city,” is planned for sometime in early February, Holmes said at the meeting.
