The City of Texarkana, Texas is pleased to announce the appointment of Shirley Jaster as Interim City Manager. The City Council confirmed Jaster’s appointment on Friday, August 4th, 2017 after former City Manager John Whitson announced his retirement. Whitson served the City of Texarkana, Texas for the past 4 and a half years, and plans to retire to Oklahoma to live near his daughter and new granddaughter. His last day in office will be March 2, 2018.
Jaster, a Texarkana native, has filled various positions at the City of Texarkana for the past 25 years, most recently as a Deputy City Manager- Development. She has also been the Director of Planning, Director of Community Services, Director of Community and Public Works and Assistant City Manager. Jaster brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position and is looking forward to leading the city.
“I am excited about the future of Texarkana,” Jaster said. “While we have many challenges facing us, we are positioned better than ever before to accomplish great things for our residents. Our team has a synergy about them, and I’m honored to play a role in the City’s next chapter.”
Jaster plans to begin next week with a staff meeting.
“My first goal is to continue providing excellent services for our residents,” Jaster said. “We’ll continue supporting the men and women in uniform that keep our city safe with police and fire protection, and keep looking forward while working with businesses and individuals who want to better our city through planning, zoning, and economic development. John is leaving behind a legacy of efficiency and forward thinking, and we will build on what we have in place now to keep moving ahead.”
Mayor Bob Bruggeman said the City Council is confident in Jaster’s ability to lead.
“We are fortunate to have someone as capable as Shirley Jaster on staff that can step into the City Manager role on an interim basis,” Bruggeman said. “She has demonstrated the ability to work with our management team to ensure continuity in city operations. This is a busy and exciting time in Texarkana as we have a number of complex long-running tasks in the works from redevelopment and clean up projects to innovation and community building. I have confidence that Ms. Jaster, with the support of the city’s department directors and staff, will be up to the task of maintaining a strong level of city services for our residents while moving projects forward during this interim period.”
