The Palmer City Council has hired former Anchorage deputy municipal manager Kolby Hickel Zerkel as the next city manager. Zerkel had applied for the job last year, but was passed over for Stephen Jellie, whose tenure in Palmer lasted less than two months before he and the City Council parted ways.
Zerkel will step into the role in April for a salary of $170,000.
She worked for the Municipality of Anchorage for former Mayor Dave Bronson and then for Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, leaving in January. She lists her current job as state operations director for US Sen. Dan Sullivan. Her past jobs include director of sales for Hotel Captain Cook, founded by her late grandfather, Gov. Walter J. Hickel.