Summit Daily file photo
DILLON — The town of Dillon is on the lookout for a new town manager after Tom Acre handed in his resignation last month.
Acre, who has served as Dillon’s town manager since August 2017, cited “personal reasons.” Finance director Carri McDonnell has been named the interim town manager.
“It has been my honor to serve council and the citizens of the town of Dillon for the past two years,” Acre wrote in his resignation letter. “The town of Dillon has the best staff I have had the pleasure of working with. I believe they will continue to provide the town with their best in the years to come. It is rare that employees are so passionate about the place they work, and it shows here in Dillon.”
In an interview Tuesday with the Summit Daily News, Acre called his work in municipal government his third career and the most rewarding. Before moving into government, Acre worked as a hydrogeologist for environmental groups in the state before working at a nonprofit called Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado.
Acre started working in government in 1997 in Commerce City, where he spent almost 15 years, including more than four years as deputy city manager. In 2012, he took over as city manager in Trinidad, before taking over in 2014 as town manager in South Fork, where he served for almost three years. He replaced former town manager Tom Breslin in Dillon in 2017.
Acre said he takes pride in a number of projects he was able to help complete during his two years with Dillon, including the completion of the amphitheater renovation and the development of the Uptown 240 and Dillon Homewood Suites projects, among others.
Still, Acre said it was time to prioritize other aspects of his life.
“It was just personal reasons, with my health and being away from my wife, it was better to get down the hill,” said Acre, who said he’s moving back to Commerce City to be with his wife, Pam Acre, who serves as the stormwater coordinator for the city of Northglenn. “I’ve been a part-time husband for seven years, and it’s good to be full time again. And my wife is happy to have her chef back.”
Acre noted that he plans to stay involved in local government and intends to take on some consulting work in the future.
Kerstin Anderson, Dillon’s marketing and communications director, said the town likely would begin the hiring process for a new town manager in mid-October — a process that includes interviews with the council and meet and greets with the community — in hopes of having someone in place by January.
“I just want to thank the community for all their support, and also a big thank you to the council and the staff, which are the best in the community, I believe,” Acre said. “And it was great to work with the other managers throughout the county.”
Acre continued to say that he and his wife have grown fond of Dillon over the past couple years and that they expect to visit often.
“We’ve come to love the place,” Acre said. “We’re not going to be strangers.”