An article in today’s Farmington, New Mexico, newspaper gives background on the new interim city manager, who comes from a well-known Grace Brethren family and has served in a Grace Brethren church. Here is an excerpt–to read the entire article click here.

FARMINGTON — Though he hasn’t been at City Hall long, interim City Manager Rob Mayes said his experience managing organizations such as Piñon Hills Community Church prepared him to lead the city’s 1,035 employees.

Mayes, 43, took the reins at the city as interim city manager on March 11, after the City Council fired his predecessor, Mike Miller.

Mayes has worked for the city for less than two years. He started in June 2006 as executive assistant to then-city manager Bob Hudson, was promoted to assistant city manager and took over as interim city manager the first time when Hudson retired in April 2007. . .

. . . Born in southern California, Mayes grew up in Fort Wayne, Ind. He attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., and earned a bachelor’s degree in youth services and clinical and clerical counseling.

He worked as youth services director and associate pastor for Grace Brethren Church and School in the Washington, D.C., area, and earned a master’s degree in religious philosophy from Liberty University in 1990.

In 1998, he moved to Farmington to take a job as executive pastor at Piñon Hills Community Church.