TEXARKANA, Texas -- City Manager David Orr has announced two assistant city managers and several director-level promotions.
Police Chief Kevin Schutte and Director of Public Works Dusty Henslee will retain their current duties as directors and take on additional duties as assistant city managers, according to a news release from the city.
Vashil Fernandez and J.W. Bramlett have been promoted to permanent positions from their interim jobs. Fernandez has been named the director of Planning and Community Development, and Bramlett has been named director of Administrative Services.
Henslee began working for the city in March 2009 as an associate design engineer. Over the next few years he was promoted to the stormwater engineer, city engineer and then in January 2017 to the director of Public Works. A couple of his most notable accomplishments include the creation of the city's major street maintenance program in 2018 and helping convert the city to its first automated work order system in 2016.
Henslee received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2006 and became a licensed professional engineer in Texas in 2010. He also became a certified floodplain manager in 2010 and a certified public manager in 2021.
Schutte began his career in law enforcement with the city in 1988 as a patrolman. Over the past 34 years, he has been a detective, instructor, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and assistant chief. He was named chief in December 2018.
Schutte's education includes classes at Texarkana College, Kilgore College and Texas A&M University- Texarkana. He is a graduate of the Institute of Law Enforcement Administration and the certified public management course. He has a Master Peace Officer and Police Instructor licenses.
Fernandez began working for the city in November 2019 as a community development specialist. In May 2021, he was promoted to interim director of Planning and Community Development.
Fernandez received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Valparaiso University in 2014, a Master of Science in International Commerce and Policy in 2015 and a second Master of Science in International Economics and Finance in 2016.
Bramlett is a 2007 graduate of the University of North Texas with a bachelor's in political science. He obtained his certified professional designation in 2020 from the Society for Human Resource Management.
Bramlett has been employed with the city since 2016. Since joining the human resources department, he has managed the city's recruitment process and professional development programs. He has been serving as the interim director of administrative services for the past year.