The City Council of Cambridge, Maryland met on Monday, July 22 to vote on the appointment of William Glenn Steckman as their new City Manager. Following a 5-0 vote held at 6:25 p.m. EST, the council formally picked Steckman from a pool of 15 applicants.
Within two hours of the Cambridge decision, Steckman informed City of Nome employees of his departure at a meeting held at 4:15 p.m. local time. He told the group that his last day would be September 1 and set his expectations for the remainder of his tenure.
“We’ll expect you to work as hard as I am, and I’m going to work as hard as I did from the first day,” Steckman recalled of his meeting with city employees.
Steckman also announced his plans at a Nome Common Council meeting held later that evening. The move comes almost five years after Steckman accepted the position in 2019.
Steckman’s time as City Manager took an unexpected turn in his first year when the city–and world–moved quickly to adapt to COVID-19. Steckman shared that he was proud of the city’s efforts to stop the spread and encourage vaccinations.
“A lot of people didn’t realize the city was already preparing because we thought it was coming,” Steckman said. “When you look back from those results, to have only three people perishing from COVID in Nome, I think that was a success. And I’m not trying to diminish those three deaths.”
Also at the top of his list of accomplishments was helping the Nome Police Department earn their accreditation, a feat he expects to be completed in the next two months.
“Being an accredited department in a bush community is really outstanding and says a lot on the improvements in the police department and the leadership,” Steckman said.
Steckman also expressed pride over improvements to the city’s aging radio system, an issue that has long plagued emergency services. Replacement equipment and repairs are expected to be in place by the end of August. He also was proud of ongoing repairs to the city’s ventilation systems and expressed regret over not being around to see the Nome Deep Draft Port project take shape.
He hopes to spend his last month in Nome putting together a list of projects to be completed by his successor.
Steckman’s career in government includes stops in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Rhode Island. The move back to the east coast will give Steckman the opportunity to reunite with his wife, Sharon Steckman. They own a house together in Salisbury, MD just 30 miles from his new employer. Steckman hoped she would eventually join him in Nome but family matters changed their plans.
“I want people to know that Nome was home too. I get myself emotionally attached to my community and employees, this was not simply a job,” Steckman explained. “I convinced my wife to move to a colder climate, she thought she was going to come up here, but circumstances changed.”
City of Nome Mayor John Handeland issued the following statement regarding Steckman’s departure.
It has been a pleasure to work with Glenn for the past 5 years. I appreciate his dedication to the City of Nome and our residents. Glenn has been a great asset who worked tirelessly for the benefit of the community. His dedication to the job has been amazing, with many long nights and most weekends put in to manage projects and resolve issues. Glenn’s plate was overflowing upon his arrival and I’m thankful for all he was able to accomplish despite monkey wrenches causing interruptions and requiring alternate focusing, such as the COVID-19 epidemic and Typhoon Merbok’s impact on the region, to name a few. Glenn deserves credit for his work with the police department to insure a case backlog was cleared and for pushing to have Nome become the first accredited police department in Alaska, a process anticipated to be completed before the end of the year. I am sorry to see him go, but know he has sacrificed much personally, including separation from his wife and family, because of his love and care for Nome. His new job is closer to the family. I thank Glenn for his service to Nome, and truly wish him the best.
- John Handeland, City of Nome Mayor
Steckman interviewed for the position in Cambridge on July 15 during a visit to the east coast. He is expected to begin his new role September 3, although he admits following the two-day trip from Alaska to Maryland, he might need an extra day off.
