Casper Mayor Ray Pacheo announced the potential departure of Casper City Manager J. Carter Napier at a press conference at City Hall today. Napier has served in that role since June of 2017.

“He has provisionally accepted the position and is in the midst of negotiating the terms of his hire,” Mayor Ray Pacheco stated during his press conference. He continued, “Should the negotiations be such that he is not confirmed as city administrator in Spring Hill, we as a Council will gladly keep him as our City Manager, with our full confidence and support.”

For Napier, the decision is based on relocating to an area where he grew up and to be closer to his family. The Council was given notice of his application for the position in Tennessee as soon as he was approached by a recruiting company.

Should Napier leave his post as City Manager, the Casper City Council will appoint an interim manager and determine a process for hiring a new city manager. This is a developing situation where the community and city staff says updates will be given and full transparency as the situation progresses.

Napier became the City of Casper’s City Manager in June 2017. He received a Master of Public Administration from the Romney Institute of Public Management of the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University. Carter's first job in local government came in 1997 with the City of Longview, WA as an intern to the City Manager. Following that experience, Carter began his service in Casper, WY in 1998 as an analyst and then became an Assistant to the City Manager. In 2003, Carter was named as Riverton's City Administrator. In April of 2011, Carter was named as Gillette’s new City Administrator.

Carter was one of the founding members for the Three Trails Employee and Family Assistance Program in Casper, WY. Carter was also a founding member of the Natrona County Drug Court both of which are still having wonderful success in Casper. Carter is a charter member of the Leadership Fremont County program as a Board member, Member of the Rotary Club, Board Member the Wyoming Association of Municipalities and past member of several economic development boards. Carter is a full member of the Great Open Spaces City Manager's Association and a full member and certified City Manager through International City/County Management Association (I.C.M.A.) as well.

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