Town of Gilbert Announces Five Finalists for Town Manager

GILBERT, Ariz. - The Gilbert Town Council has identified five finalists for the position of Town Manager following an extensive national recruitment effort. The finalists represent a diverse range of backgrounds and experience in local government leadership, each bringing a unique combination of skills and qualifications to the role.

"After an extensive national recruitment effort, we've identified five outstanding finalists with impressive track records and genuine enthusiasm about the possibility of serving Gilbert," said Mayor Scott Anderson. "We look forward to engaging our community and staff in this process as we work toward selecting a leader who will champion Gilbert's values and position our community for continued success."

Meet the Finalists

In alphabetical order, the five Gilbert Town Manager finalists are:

Robert Field

Field most recently served as City Manager of Medford, Oregon from September 2024 through November 2025. He also previously served as City Manager of San Bernardino, California for more than 2½ years and as Assistant Executive County Officer for Riverside County, California for over 11 years. Field brings more than 25 years of local government experience to the selection process. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Riverside and a Master of Arts from California Baptist University.

Mario Paniagua

Paniagua currently serves as Assistant Town Manager for the Town of Gilbert, a position he has held for more than eight months. Prior to joining Gilbert, he spent more than 17 years with the City of Phoenix, including more than 10 years as Deputy City Manager. He also held roles as Budget and Research Director, Deputy City Clerk, Special Assistant to the City Council, and Human Resources Analyst with Phoenix. A former Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force, Paniagua has more than 32 years of local government experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University and is a member of ACMA and ICMA.

Leah Rhineheimer

Rhineheimer currently serves as Assistant Town Manager for the Town of Gilbert, a position she has held for more than five years. She previously served as Deputy Town Manager for four years, as well as in the roles of Director of Intergovernmental Relations and Assistant to the Town Manager for Gilbert. Earlier in her career, she served as Assistant to the City Manager in El Mirage, Arizona. Rhineheimer brings more than 15 years of local government experience and holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. She is a member of ACMA and ICMA.

Alison Zelms

Zelms currently serves as City Administrator of Rochester, Minnesota, a role she has held for more than five years. She has also served as Deputy City Manager of Mankato, Minnesota for five years, Deputy City Manager of Prescott, Arizona for five years, and Assistant City Manager in Sedona, Arizona for five years. Additional experience includes roles as Management Analyst and Director of Administrative Hearings in Evanston, Illinois, and Assistant to the City Manager in University Park, Texas. Zelms brings more than 25 years of local government experience to the process. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Augustana College and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Kansas, and is a credentialed manager (ICMA-CM) through ICMA.

Selection Process and Community Involvement

The upcoming phase of the selection process will consist of formal interviews with the Town Council, Town staff, and an open house with the community.

The public open house will offer Gilbert residents the opportunity to meet the finalists in person on Thursday, April 23 from 7:00pm - 8:30pm at HD South in the Severson Center.

The Town Council expects to identify a new Town Manager in the coming months.