Gilbert has narrowed its search for its next town manager to two finalists, selecting internal candidate Mario Paniagua and external candidate Alison Zelms to advance in the process.
The decision follows a public forum that featured four finalists and comes as the town looks to replace former Town Manager Patrick Banger, who left earlier this year to become city manager in Glendale.
The remaining candidates — Paniagua, Gilbert’s assistant town manager, and Zelms, the city manager in Rochester, Minnesota — represent two different paths forward: continuity from within and outside experience shaped in other communities.
