Joe Westerlund promoted to Town Manager
Press release
Tonopah, NV – August 26, 2021
The Town of Tonopah is excited to announce that long-time employee Joe Westerlund was promoted to Town Manager by the Tonopah Town Board at their meeting held August 25, 2021.
Westerlund has spent most of his life in Tonopah and is a proud graduate of Tonopah High School. He started his career at the Tonopah Test Site and began working for the Town of Tonopah in 2010. Westerlund and his wife Lisa own a successful small business in Tonopah, M & K Enterprise. Westerlund has worked as Utility Manager for Tonopah Public Utilities (TPU) for the past six years, sharing the Acting Town Manager responsibilities with Administrative Manager Chris Mulkerns. Mulkerns recently left her position to move back to her home State of Michigan.
Westerlund was a Tonopah High School basketball coach, as well as a dedicated member of the Rotary Club of Tonopah. Westerlund served as president of the club for many years. Westerlund also actively participated in organizing the annual Jim Butler Days celebrations and was the host of the Nevada State Pro Armwrestling Tournament.
Westerlund believes that his staff makes a great team. The Town of Tonopah and Tonopah Public Utilities only have fourteen full-time employees but operate and maintain the Town and TPU offices, Tonopah Convention Center, Tonopah Historic Mining Park, Tonopah Fairgrounds and Arena, Tonopah Memorial Swimming Pool, Joe Friel Sports Complex, all Town parks, as well as the water and sewer utilities. Westerlund plans to continue improving his hometown and the quality of life in Tonopah by continuing developments such as water and sewer upgrades, park additions such as a basketball court at Jim Butler Park, parking lot improvements at the downtown plaza and Convention Center, and many others. He hopes to continue Tonopah’s economic growth by expanding Tonopah’s tourism programs, increasing Convention Center reservations, and working with the Tonopah Main Street program.
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