After about a year of searching, Chowchilla has a new city administer.

And despite having had 29 candidates interview for the job, the Chowchilla City Council didn’t have to look far to fill the post, naming Rod Clifton Pruett, who had been serving as interim city administrator.

Councilmembers voted to approve Pruett for the new job and swore him in during the group’s January 28 meeting.

Chowchilla’s previous city manager, Brian Haddix, Haddix, resigned back in January 2019, after which the city’s police chief, Dave Riviere, briefly served as interim city manager until Pruett — the city’s finance director at the time — was appointed to the post in April.

After that, he juggled both jobs, and he likely will continue to do that until Chowchilla hires a new finance director.

“He is grateful to the many city personnel who helped carry some additional duties during that period,” states a press release.

It goes on to say that Pruett came on as the finance director in September 2014. Prior to that, he worked in the private sector as a certified public accountant. He earned his Bachelor of Science in business administration with an emphasis in accounting from Fresno State and obtained his CPA license from the California State Board of Accountancy.

“Mr. Pruett has proven himself to be highly competent in the management of the city’s fiscal assets and had brought dramatic improvements and creativity to ensure the agency operates confidently within approved budgets and available fund reserves.” Chowchilla Mayor Waseem Ahmed said in the press release.