Contact: David Rossi, 970-376-8323, rossi@smithwooddrive.com

SUMMIT COUNTY (July 12, 2022) -- Summit County Manager Scott Vargo announced today that he has accepted a new position as City Manager for Golden, Colorado, effective Sept. 12, 2022.

The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) have initiated a transition plan, beginning with the process to identify an interim manager, who will be announced in the coming weeks.

County Commissioner Tamara Pogue is confident the BOCC’s plans for finding a replacement manager will go smoothly. “Change is inevitable, and I am grateful to Scott for helping us in transition,” she said. “We intend to convene a panel of community members to play a role in the selection of his replacement. It’s important that locals have a voice in our process.”

Vargo has held management positions in Summit County since 1999, making him one of the longest-serving leaders of Summit County Government. During his tenure, Summit County has become a tourism powerhouse, having reached $1 billion in tourism spending in 2020—the highest outside Denver and El Paso counties. With such growth have come challenges in housing, livability, and infrastructure, all exacerbated by the pandemic.

Vargo has led the BOCC through several public initiatives, including the County’s massive COVID-19 recovery effort, the construction of major facilities including the hospital and medical campus, libraries, and fleet facility. He leaves County government in its strongest financial position ever.

“I’m extremely proud of the contributions of my entire staff in County government over my tenure. I would not have been able to leave Summit County in the position it is today without the help of my team,” Vargo said. “This is an amazing community; I look forward to watching its continued progress.”

“We’re incredibly grateful for Scott’s leadership and we’re in a great position to move forward on many initiatives thanks to his dedication to this community,” said Commissioner Josh Blanchard.

“It’s never easy to lose a trusted member of your team, especially one who has helped Summit County navigate numerous challenges over the past 24 years,” said County Commissioner Elisabeth Lawrence. “The City of Golden will be in good hands,” she concluded.

###