Kolby Hickel Zerkel selected as new city manager in Palmer

Palmer’s city council has selected Kolby Hickel Zerkel of Anchorage as new city manager. The decision was finalized at the council’s Tuesday, March 11 meeting.

Zerkel is currently deputy municipal manager in Anchorage where she has been involved in managing a wide variety of municipal operations as well as development of reconstruction of Anchorage’s Port of Alaska, a 2 billion project now underway.

She fills the position vacated with the resignation of Steve Jellie, the former city manager. Zerkel was selected out of a field of 12 candidates who applied originally for the city manager job.

Prior to her job with the Municipality of Anchorage Zerkel worked in hotel marketing and management with the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage, which is owned and operated by the Hickel family.