Navy veteran selected as Columbia Falls' next city manager

Columbia Falls has a new city manager. City Council recently selected retired Capt. Eric Hanks, a distinguished Navy veteran, to lead the city.

Hanks, 50, signed a contract March 12. He plans to start April 1.

Hanks was the commanding officer of the Naval Air Station on Whidbey Island in Washington from 2021 to August 2024. 

He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a bachelor’s degree in computer science in 1997 and received a master’s in science in national security studies in 2016 from the U.S. National Defense University.

At Whidbey Island he oversaw 10,000 workers and 15,000 dependent family members and retirees.

He previously served as the chief of staff for the Navy’s programming office and before that he was a strategic political and operations research analyst for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Hanks is a native of Jennings, Louisiana. As a naval pilot he amassed more than 3,300 hours of flight time, according to a 2021 biography, primarily in the Navy’s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance community.

In an interview last week, he said he’d been looking at transitioning into a civilian career after the military and hoped to find a position in some form of government management.

He learned of the Columbia Falls job opening in December and the community appealed to him.

Hanks and his wife, Renee spent a few days in Columbia Falls earlier this year in their RV on a trip back to Washington after visiting family in Louisiana, he said.

He said the stability of the small town community, the civility here and the longevity of council members made the job attractive.

“Everyone is working together,” he said.

Hanks salary is $150,000.

One of the main goals is to address affordable housing issues in the community, he said. Whidbey Island had similar issues, he noted, with personnel often having to commute 45 minutes to their jobs because housing was unaffordable on the island.

He said the public needs to be involved in land use planning for the city.

“[As city manager] you’re really working for the citizens,” he said. “I’m going to be as transparent and available as possible.”

Hanks said he was attracted to the outdoor amenities in the area like Glacier National Park. He enjoys hiking and kayaking and other outdoor activities. The couple have two grown children.

The hiring of Hanks comes after the city used a recruitment firm to search for and screen candidates. 

It went through two previous searches after City Manager Susan Nicosia retired last June, but neither one of those finalists worked out.

Mayor Don Barnhart thanked Hanks for “coming through” for the city after the previous searches.

“Welcome Eric. Thanks for signing the contract,” he said to Hanks, who was at Council’s Monday meeting via Zoom.

Barnhart also thanked interim City Manager Mark Shrives for his help.

“You’ve been a lifesaver, Mark,” he said. “Your experience and judgment is beyond reproach.”

Shrives said he expects his last day to be April 4, but will help the city if need be remotely, as he lives in Polson and was the former Polson city manager. Nicosia will also be helping with this year’s budget under contract with the city, so her expertise is readily at hand if need be.

Hanks will likely oversee major changes in Columbia Falls in the next few years, with major developments being planned.