Wellington City Council could be naming City Manager tonight, Shields officially retires
by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The Wellington City Council will be meeting tonight for what appears to be a routine meeting with one resolution and a 2021 audit report on the agenda (see packet here).
However, the council could also be naming the new Wellington City Manager. Shane Shields retired on Friday after six years in the city manager capacity. Jason Newberry is currently the Interim City Manager.
An executive session is scheduled tonight concerning personnel matters of non-elected personnel. The council had three special executive sessions on July 11, July 13, and July 14 to interview three candidates.
On Friday on Shields’ final day as the Wellington city manager, a retirement reception was held in his honor at the council chambers. Former Wellington Mayor Roger Stallbaumer (in the video above) made a presentation. He said Shields had started as a dispatcher in 1979 at the Wellington Police Department. He would eventually become an officer before joining the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office.
He would serve there until spending a year with the Wichita Police Department. He was elected county clerk in 1996 and would be in that capacity for 13 years. He returned to the City of Wellington as a clerk/finance director in 2010. In 2016, Shields became the city manager of Wellington and served six years before his retirement on Friday. All combined, Shields had 43 years in public service.
“There will be certain things I’ll miss about this job, and some other things I will not,” Shields told people in attendance at the retirement reception. “I appreciate working with such great staff over the years. And I want to thank my family.”
