When Audree Juhlin announced last month that she’d be stepping down as community development director, City Manager Justin Clifton had a decision to make — hire from within or bring someone in to fill the position.

In the end, he decided that the best route would be to have Assistant City Manager Karen Osburn take over the department while still maintaining her current title and many of her responsibilities.

She will officially start wearing both hats on Monday, July 9.

“I have interest and experience in this area, so having me fill the role, keeping the position in-house and saving the city the cost of that salary made sense,” said Osburn, who has been with the city for six and a half years. “I feel humbled that the city manager has enough confidence in my abilities to challenge me with this new dual role, and I am excited to take it on.”

Any time a vacancy occurs, the city uses it as an opportunity to look at the organizational structure and evaluate how changes might be made to achieve efficiencies or cost savings, Osburn said. Because the community development department and the director position play such a critical role, Osburn said having someone who already understands the community, the city staff and culture, and the goals of the council and Sedona Community Plan seemed to have some real advantages over trying to fill the position externally.

Clifton said it is fairly common, especially in cities the size of Sedona, that an assistant city manager directly oversees a department.

“That said, Karen is the ideal person to oversee community development for numerous reasons,” he said. “Karen is an immensely talented administrator who has already proven her ability to lead in a variety of service areas. Karen plays a strong role with traffic, parking, wireless planning and other projects that are already in the community development space.”

He went on to say that Osburn is well-versed in community politics, which is at the heart of everything community development does. She is also a wellrespected leader among the city staff, which Clifton said he feels will provide a seamless transition in leadership for that department. Lastly, Clifton said Osburn will ensure that the efforts of the Community Development Department, the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council priorities are fully integrated.

“In many ways, this is the perfect way to not only keep the positive momentum that Audree [Juhlin] has started but to take things to the next level,” Clifton said. “On a side note, this is one of many changes we’ve made over that last few years that increases the level of service we provide while lowering the total cost of those services.”

Osburn said she’s excited about the opportunity, one that she doesn’t take lightly. Fortunately, she said the department is made up of a team of talented professionals who are committed to doing their best on behalf of the community.

“I’ll be leaning on their knowledge and expertise as I transition into this new role,” Osburn said. “Audree has been a true leader in the organization and in the community, and will leave big shoes to fill. I hope to continue the good work that she and her team have been doing, and to maintain the high bar that she and her team have set for customer service and commitment to achieving quality development in Sedona.”

Juhlin also had high praise for her successor.

“Karen has been a great friend, mentor and coworker,” Juhlin said. “I know without a doubt that she will do a great job of continuing on the values and common-sense attitudes that have led the department for the past few years. Karen will take the department even further as she is a forward-thinking leader, combining her individual aspirations and the greater good of the department and community.”

Ron Eland can be reached at 282-7795, ext. 122 or by email at reland@larsonnewspapers.com