The City of Nevada is pleased to announce Jordan Cook as the community’s new City Administrator.
Cook, 32, originally from Omaha, Neb., will begin his position in Nevada next Monday, June 22.
“My initial goals are getting to know the community, the businesses, and the team I will be working with at the city,” Cook said. “I am very much excited to be part of Nevada and the positive growth that is happening.”
Nevada Mayor Brett Barker said the city had a strong pool of candidates to choose from in its recent interviewing process, but Cook rose to the top. “Nevada has a lot going on right now, and Jordan has the skill set and the mindset needed to accomplish our goals.”
Cook took his first city administrator role at the City of Clarion. It confirmed why he went into the profession. “I believe my personality lends itself well to public service, and my social skills lend themselves well to interacting throughout the community.”
Growing up, Cook’s family moved around a bit. He lived at Norfolk, Neb., and at Great Bend, Kan. He graduated high school in 2007 at Scottsbluff in western Nebraska.
“After high school, I moved back to Norfolk and went to Northeast Community College for architectural drafting,” he said. With his associate’s degree in hand, he transferred to the University of Nebraska in Omaha and entered the Urban Studies undergraduate program.
“I chose city administration because I wanted to affect change in a positive way that would be beneficial for the community and its citizens to increase the quality of life for people,” he said.
During his graduate program, Cook had the opportunity to be the assistant to the city engineer in LaVista, Neb. “This really helped confirm my passion for local government.”
Before applying for the Nevada position, Cook said he drove to Nevada to see if it would be a community he could enjoy. “I thought it was a beautiful town with great facilities for its community members. I was and am very much impressed with Nevada.”
Although not married, Cook said his significant other is from the central Iowa area. “I also have many family members that live close by,” he said. “I am very much a family-oriented person and love being around my friends and family.”
When he’s not working, Cook’s time is spent enjoying a variety of activities. He loves hiking, kayaking, playing with his dogs, golfing and, he noted, “I love food!”
Residents can get their first glimpse of Cook at the June 22 council meeting, starting at 6 p.m. That meeting will be live-streamed via Zoom, and a link will be provided on the City of Nevada, IA Facebook page.
–Written By Marlys Barker, City of Nevada
