Stillwater: Community development director is hired
Zimmerman, who has served as the city's part-time interim community development director since February, has been hired for the permanent position.
He will be transitioning to the new position during the rest of July and August and will start full-time Sept. 2. His salary will be $158,538.
Zimmerman, 52, of Minneapolis, has worked as a planner for HKGi since January 2024. He previously worked as the planning manager and as a planner for Golden Valley.
Stillwater City Administrator Joe Kohlmann said Zimmerman impressed officials with his 'can-do attitude' and ability to 'address issues head-on.'
'Jason is an articulate professional who has demonstrated a strong commitment to the betterment of Stillwater,' Kohlmann said. 'He gets along very well with coworkers, elected officials, and members of the public.'
Zimmerman grew up in Waconia, Minn., a rural community west of Minneapolis, and said 'Stillwater has that same small-town feel, but with an oversized impact on the surrounding area due to its history and draw for visitors.'
'I'm looking forward to helping capture that enthusiasm and sense of pride as we work to update and improve policies, procedures, and a shared vision for the future,' he said. 'Stillwater seems poised to cement itself as a premiere city, and I'm excited to be a part of that.'
Zimmerman has a master's degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor's degree in economics from Carleton College.
In his spare time, he enjoys running ultra-marathons — '50 miles, 100 miles and even some that are over 100 miles,' he said. 'The longest distance I've ever run at one time is 180 miles. That was in Moab, Utah. That took a little more than four days. There was some sleep sprinkled in there.'
He and his wife, Amie DeHarpporte, have four children and numerous household pets.
Tim Gladhill, who previously held the position, left Stillwater in August 2024 to become community development director in Brooklyn Park.
Danette Parr, the community development director in Maplewood, was hired in November to do the job; she resigned effective Dec. 31. Parr, who returned to her job in Maplewood, said Monday that Stillwater 'wasn't the fit (she) was looking for and, unfortunately, sometimes you just don't know that until you get there.'
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