Devine hires Vidaurri as City Administrator

John Vidaurri was hired last week by the City of Devine council as the new City Administrator as an at- will employee at $100,000 a year, with evaluation after the budget cycle with the possibility of a raise at that time. He will be provided with a city cell phone, city vehicle, have normal office hours and will receive city benefits. Start date is Monday, May 3, 2021.
Dora Rodriguez has been serving as both the City Secretary and Interim City Administrator and has expressed her concern in the past that both jobs were a lot together and looked forward to the city hiring a full time administrator again.
“I have enjoyed working for communities such as the City of Devine whose local government focus is promoting orderly community growth, ensuring community safety, and improving community infrastructure so that it can secure economic development projects that create jobs and add to the community tax base,” said Vidaurri.
“I look forward to this opportunity to work with City Council and the citizens of Devine to improve the community quality of life by addressing issues important to the City.”
“The communities that I have managed during the course of my career in City Management include: Edinburg, Texas, Eloy, Arizona, Mission, Texas, San Benito, Texas, Hondo, Texas, Carrizo Springs, Texas, and most recently South Tucson, Arizona.”

John Vidaurri Background Information:
“I reside in San Antonio and have owned a home there since 2002, but I was born and raised in Laredo, Texas and am very familiar with the I-35 Corridor between Laredo and San Antonio,” said Vidaurri.
“My local government background includes extensive experience managing communities in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. I have a broad range of expertise in all facets of municipal government management, including specialization in the areas of finance, budget, human resources, planning and community development, economic development, airport operations, and historic preservation. I am familiar with Texas laws, compliance, and programs. My experiential background also includes overseeing the management of water and wastewater functions, electric utility, capital improvement programs and planning and development in urban and suburban settings.
“My economic development background includes experience in the management of 4A and 4B Texas EDC’s funded by the ½ cent sales tax for economic development. I have worked in concert with the private sector and units of local, county and federal government to develop and implement a variety of economic development programs, including the development of Tax Increment Finance Districts and the administration of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones.
“My strategic planning skills include training and experience in conducting SWOT (Strength/Weakness, Opportunity/Threat) Analysis. I have applied the SWOT process to identify areas where organizational improvement may be achieved in order to enhance operational effectiveness. My total quality management training includes a certificate of achievement in Six Sigma Black-Belt from Villanova University.
“My management style is participatory, emphasizing teamwork. I work closely with City Council in order to achieve City Council’s stated goals and objectives for community growth and enrichment. I also act as a mentor to city staff in the process of identifying training opportunities that might enable staff to advance in their professions.
“I possess a BA (Political Science) from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), and have completed 64 semester hours of Master of Public Administration coursework at the University of Texas at El Paso, and the University of Texas- Pan American, now known as the University of Texas- Rio Grande Valley.
By Kathleen Calame
Publisher