City Manager’s Office

The City of Vancouver operates under a council-manager form of government

The Vancouver City Council appoints the city manager to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the City. The role and responsibilities of the city manager are defined in the City Charter and the Revised Code of Washington.

The city manager is responsible for developing the biennial budget, advising council on policy issues and carrying our council’s policy direction through the day-to-day management and operations of all City departments.

In addition to overseeing citywide operations, the Vancouver City Manager oversees City Communications and Clark/Vancouver Television (CVTV), Emergency Management, the government affairs program, the historic preservation program, policy and program management and the historic Pearson Field Airport.

The City Manager’s Office conducts City Hall Field Trips for local schools.

Services

Initiatives

City Leadership

Eric Holmes
City Manager

Eric has worked at all levels of government over the course of his career, from congressional offices in Washington DC to local governments in the metro area and throughout Clark County. For the last 20 years, he has held a range of public and private sector leadership positions, including the last 16 years with the city of Vancouver, 13 of which as Vancouver’s city manager. During this tenure, Vancouver has seen transformative growth through urbanization, a larger and more resilient economy and dramatic increase in community diversity.

Eric serves on the board of the Washington State City Manger’s Association, where in 2021 he was recognized for Excellence in Municipal Management. He also serves as a member of the WSU Vancouver Campus Advisory Council as well as on the Portland State University Local Government Advisory committee for the Public Administration degree program.

Eric has a bachelor’s in Planning, Public Policy and Management from the University of Oregon and a Master’s in Public Administration from Lewis and Clark college, as well as a range of credentials in areas such as organizational leadership, strategic planning, economic development and complex negotiations. A native of the pacific northwest, Eric and his family have lived in Vancouver for more than 25 years.

Lisa Brandl
Deputy City Manager

As deputy city manager of enterprise services, Lisa Brandl oversees the city’s information technology, human resources, emergency management, general services, diversity, equity and inclusion and communications teams.

Lisa has 30 years of progressively responsible local government experience, including serving as Chief Operating Officer for Riverside County, California, a county with 22,000 government employees serving nearly 2.5 million people.

Her professional experience also includes work in procurement, facilities, economic development, financial services and public administration.

Lisa has a master’s degree in public administration from California Baptist University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting and finance from California State University-San Bernardino, as well as number of other professional certifications.

Lon Pluckhahn
Deputy City Manager

Lon Pluckhahn oversees the city’s community development, parks, recreation and cultural services, economic development, and policy and program management teams.

Lon brings more than 25 years of public sector experience to Vancouver, including economic development, parks and planning, collective bargaining, and financing for capital projects.

He has served as city manager for 14 years in Marion, Iowa—a growing community of 40,000 residents in the second largest metro in the state. Lon has also held city manager positions in Platteville, Wisconsin, and West Liberty, Iowa.

Lon is a credentialed manager through the International City Manager’s Association and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science, a master’s degree in public administration and a master’s degree in community and regional planning, all from Iowa State University.