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All in Adams--Meet Dionne Stroter: Adams County’s New County Manager
17 Plays7 days ago
Meet Dionne Stroter: Adams County’s New County Manager
In this episode, we sit down with Dionne Stroter, the newly selected County Manager for Adams County. With a strong background in public service and a passion for community-centered leadership, Dionne shares her vision for the county, her priorities for the months ahead, and what drives her commitment to building a more resilient, equitable, and responsive local government. Tune in to get to know the leader guiding Adams County into its next chapter.
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Transcript
Introduction to 'All In Adams'
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to All In Adams, the official podcast of Adams County government, where we're all in for our residents, our employees, and our community. So whether you live here, work here, or you just wanna know more about what makes Adams County a great place to be, thanks for tuning in.
00:00:17
Speaker
We're all in, Adams.
Meet the Host and County Manager
00:00:19
Speaker
Hi, everybody. Thank you so much for tuning in. I'm Nikki Kimballton, the communications director here at Adams County. You know, leadership matters. And today we're introducing you to someone who is already making a really big impact on our organization.
00:00:32
Speaker
Dionne Stroder is officially stepping into the role of county manager. It is a big job. She brings big energy, big ideas, and also a deep love for service. um She actually started with Adams County as deputy county manager, then served as interim county manager before taking the reins full time on July 1.
00:00:49
Speaker
Now she is here on All In Atoms to talk about her vision, her values, and what being all in really means. Dionne, welcome to the podcast and congratulations. Thank you so much. I'm thrilled to be here and I'm excited to talk with you and all of our listeners. so Great. Yeah. And I know we just want to give people the opportunity to get to know you a little bit better. She's going to be a frequent guest on this podcast um in the future. But to start, I want to start with your journey.
Dionne Stroder's Journey to County Manager
00:01:14
Speaker
um You know, you said something when you were um your first day when we had a a welcome reception. So employees could get to know you a little bit better. We got to meet your family, which we really enjoyed.
00:01:25
Speaker
But you said something that really stuck with me. You said, you know, i always wanted to work for Adams County. Right. And i think when you know a place is right for you and you know it's going to happen, it's just a matter of of the right timing.
00:01:38
Speaker
um When did you first realize that this is where you wanted to be? Yeah, you know, it's it's kind of an interesting story. um You know, I grew up in Denver, born and raised in Denver, Colorado, and I've been involved in community organizing and in public service for a long, long time.
00:01:54
Speaker
I grew up in a family that was very politically active in community. And so I always knew that I wanted to work at the local level um after I went to college for science, that is, and decided to shift gears when I was at college.
00:02:07
Speaker
um You know, I worked for the city and county of Denver for about 15 years. And it's a little different being a city and a county. um There are some advantages, but there's also some things about that that are really challenging, especially if you're someone like me who likes to roll up your sleeves and really get into how we do business, how we serve our constituents, how we work together with our elected officials. And at that time, this was probably...
00:02:30
Speaker
Seven or eight years ago, I really started thinking about leaving the city and county of Denver because I was very interested in city and county management and just that structure that we have here that they don't have in Denver. um and It was something that I knew if I wanted to explore that further, I would have to leave working for the city and county of Denver.
00:02:47
Speaker
um I was very lucky to be appointed to Mayor Hancock's cabinet. And while I was as part of his cabinet, we had discussions about, you know, what county management actually
Community Connection and Diverse Background
00:02:58
Speaker
looked like. And again, Denver being a city and a county, it was a little bit um different from what we're accustomed to here in Adams County.
00:03:04
Speaker
And I also lived in Adams County. I lived in Adams County for about 10 years. um I lived in Thornton. I lived in Westminster. I lived in Arvada. And I also lived in Aurora on the very edge of Adams County. And so I interacted with Adams County a lot in different ways when I was living in Adams County.
00:03:19
Speaker
And um I really started to look at what Adams County was up to. I'm a longtime Colorado resident. I love Colorado. i really love the diversity of Adams County, both the people and also the communities that we serve.
00:03:34
Speaker
One of the reasons I wanted to leave Denver is as much as I really love the city I grew up in, I have a ah lot of heart for some of our smaller communities, some of our rural communities that I think are really the heart and soul of Colorado.
00:03:47
Speaker
I have a family that grew up, my my family comes from ranchers and cowboys, believe it or not. um And my grandparents grew up in small towns, and I just really have an affinity for some of the communities that are in Adams County that are not just the the urban communities, but also some of our rural communities and further out on the plains, some of the things that they They do and some of the things that they they need. And so that was one of the things that attracted me to Adams County in particular.
00:04:14
Speaker
It's close to the front range, but I do think that there's just a different vibe here, a different type of work here and a different understanding of what it means to really lead at the local level in Adams County.
00:04:27
Speaker
um I had the opportunity to apply for a position as a deputy county manager about five years ago, and I had applied for that that position and had actually interviewed several times for it.
00:04:38
Speaker
And it just happened to be the first week of March 2020 when I was going through that process. um And literally I interviewed, I think on a Friday and the following Monday, everything shut down.
00:04:49
Speaker
yeah um And I got noticed from the county that they were going to be pausing on recruiting for the position, which I totally understood. And they ended up not um filling the position at that time.
Career Pause and State-Level Experience
00:04:59
Speaker
And it was very disappointing, but also probably a really good opportunity in the end. because it allowed me to think maybe about other opportunities. And I ended up going to work for the state at DOLA and got to know all of Colorado's counties really well. I got to understand how the state functions really, really well.
00:05:16
Speaker
And I think it prepared me much better to be able to come back five years later and try again at Adams County. So I was really excited last year when I saw that there was another opening for a deputy county manager. And i was like, this is the job. that I applied for five years ago and I'm really excited to try again. I really still have always kind of watched what adam Adams County is doing and watched how Adams County responded to the pandemic and I was so impressed with everything that was happening here and so I was first in line to turn it into application and try again and and that's why I ended up here.
00:05:48
Speaker
And timing is everything. ah You know, i i love I love that. And we're we're really grateful to have you here at the helm. um You know, you've had a chance to serve in this role now, um both as um interim, you've also been a deputy county manager here.
00:06:00
Speaker
um What are are the key takeaways since you've started the job? And
Passion for Local Government
00:06:05
Speaker
um what are you most excited about moving forward? You know, I love this organization. I love this county. It's been really wonderful to get to know all of our different teams and to get to know our board of county commissioners and even just sitting in public hearings and listening to the concerns that the public has and the things that we we work on.
00:06:26
Speaker
i'm I'm kind of a geek for local government. You know, I was telling my my husband yesterday about public hearings, how much I like land use cases because it's fascinating And it's kind of a microcosm of the world. And I think it's really wonderful that the public will actually engage so much on things that matter to them so much.
00:06:44
Speaker
You know, yesterday we we heard a hearing about a horse farm and its impact on the community. And just listening to people tell their stories and show up during their workday, you know, to come in and really advocate for themselves is something I really love about local government. And I really love about Adams County.
00:07:02
Speaker
I also think we have some of the most forward-thinking employees that I've ever worked with. And one of the nice things about Adams County is i think that we have a lot of space to try things and we have a lot of space to innovate. And so it's been kind of cool to see what the folks are up to here and how we've really kind of pushed the envelope on how we can serve our community better and how we can be more inclusive and how we can use technology and all those things that I'm really excited to lean into. I think I've seen here at Adams County and I'm i'm very excited to kind of do more of that and figure out together how we can continue to improve and serve this big county with all of us at the table, like what what we could do with that. So that's probably the most exciting thing to me.
00:07:45
Speaker
Yeah, it is it is exciting. My next question is its going to blend really well into it because some of the things you just mentioned. The next question was about, you know, being all in. We use that all in Adams. um And it's being all in for our residents, our employees.
00:07:56
Speaker
And I'll ask you the question in just a moment. But first, I want to tell those of you watching and listening, the land use cases, we do stream those. So they are usually every Tuesday morning. They immediately follow the streaming of our public hearing, um which, you know, for public hearings, we also encourage the public to come to these meetings and to speak.
00:08:13
Speaker
And um it's something that is offered at every single meeting. So that's one of the ways that we are all in for our residents. What does being all in mean to you?
Defining 'All In' and Community Engagement
00:08:23
Speaker
You know, I think being all in has couple of different connotations for me when I think about what that looks like.
00:08:30
Speaker
Part of it is really making sure that all of us are included, that everybody is invited to the table, that we're listening to all perspectives, you know, that everybody in our community counts.
00:08:42
Speaker
And also for our commute community in Adams County of our employees, that we all have a common purpose and a common goal and that everybody has a role to play and everybody contributes to, you know, whatever we're we're doing to serve our community. You know, so we're all literally at the table together.
00:09:00
Speaker
I also think it's the idea of pulling out all the stops to solve problems, that we aren't leaving anything behind, that we're really thinking through how we can be creative, how we can be good stewards of our public trust and public funds, how we can be inclusive and equitable, and that we have everything to give and that we know that we're we're all here every day giving our best all the time to take care of the people who've entrusted us to do that.
00:09:27
Speaker
And so to me, that's what being all in really looks like. All right. Thank you for for sharing that. um So residents may not always see the work that is happening behind the scenes. um What would you want people to know about the teams that are here working for them every day at Adams County? I mean, and it kind of builds off what you just talking about. You know, its it is a special breed that goes into public service.
00:09:50
Speaker
um But you really do. I mean, here, um you know, myself, you know, the team I work with, everyone I work with, they really genuinely care about helping people. and making sure that our residents are getting the best of services and they're getting a great government experience.
00:10:05
Speaker
You know, it what I've always loved about local government in particular is just the variety of services we provide, the types of opportunities we provide, the types of work that people do.
00:10:18
Speaker
it's It's wonderful if you're somebody who's worked in local government for a long time to know that you could work in, you know, solid waste pickup, but you could also work in a recreation center and you can also do environmental cleanup and you can also, you know, find a place paving roads.
00:10:34
Speaker
Or you could also work in budget and finance and do all the things that sort of keep the lights on and that the community probably never even notices because you're doing it so well, hopefully. um But the things that, you know, you drive down the street and you you see and don't realize that there is a whole committed team of people who make sure that, you know, the snow is plowed when there's a storm and that the streetlights are working and the potholes are filled and all those things.
00:10:57
Speaker
um But also that we have a lot of people who have. so much heart for our community. They're spending every day in meetings and collaborating out in the community, talking about how we can have more affordable housing and how we can take care of animals in our care and how we can provide safety for our children who are living in our neighborhoods. And you know They live in the community too, and they're working all the time on all those things that make Adams County and make any place a really good place to live and a place where everybody gets to participate and everybody gets to thrive and grow and do all the things that we all want to do in life.
00:11:29
Speaker
I think that's really kind of the secret sauce that happens. and i I hope that we're doing it well and that you don't notice it. um Usually people will complain if there's a pothole and they'll tell us, but that's that's really what it's about. And I think we have teams that are just always out there supporting everything that we have going on. And again, that's why I really love local government.
00:11:47
Speaker
And I think one of the great things that that we do really well here too is that then we recognize those teams because where' we recognize the job that they're doing, everything you just described, just getting it done, you know making sure people have what they need without having to ask for it all the time, without having to go seek it. They're just doing the work.
00:12:02
Speaker
um And a lot of times it's very dedicated hard work, but um it's great that you know you and your team with executive leadership also make make the time to recognize them and let them know that it's appreciated, which is a ah big part of that secret sauce. Yes. Big, big part of it. Absolutely.
00:12:17
Speaker
So let's talk about partnerships. I know it's something that you've, you know, you've emphasized collaboration, um, both within the County and then also with our external groups. Um, why is that such a big focus for you?
00:12:29
Speaker
You know, it's a big focus for me because we have limited
The Importance of Partnerships
00:12:33
Speaker
resources. We have limited bandwidth to do all the things. We can't solve every problem, but we have a lot of really dedicated community members and people who have that on-the-ground expertise, that lived experience, who are able to help support, who are able to, you know, help us deliver on the things that we need to deliver to community.
00:12:53
Speaker
And they want to. They're the ones in the community that community members trust. They're the ones who are your friends and your neighbors and your employers who are at the table trying to make the whole community better. And so being able to have those trusted partners who we trust them and they trust us and we can work together really means that we're able to do more with the resources we have.
00:13:12
Speaker
And that we're able to have people who will sort of speak truth to power and tell us what's going on and tell us how things are are going in the community and that we can work together to make sure we're really getting the right information and we're engaging with people who are right in the front lines of everything that's happening today.
00:13:27
Speaker
I think without those partnerships, we become just another sort of government entity that people don't really know much about and isn't really involved in the community. And, you know, we can we can rubber stamp a lot of things, but that's not really the best way for us to serve our community. And those partnerships are really what make us help us get it done.
00:13:45
Speaker
And and that that's not who we are. We
Personal Interests and Local Favorites
00:13:47
Speaker
want to be all in. And that's exactly you know why we have why we have that slogan. um Okay, so I know you are very dedicated. This requires long hours.
00:13:55
Speaker
um But when you're not here, how do you recharge? um And then i have a couple other fun questions for you. Sure. You know, i um I have a very busy ah life doing lots of hobbies.
00:14:09
Speaker
i'm I'm somebody, someone described me once as being an artist scientist, which I think is a really good description. i have a lot, I do lots of arts and crafts. I have a little business making jewelry. i go to craft shows. I was just going to say the next one was hidden talents. that's I do that kind of thing.
00:14:25
Speaker
i spend a lot of time with family. i have have two kids who are young 20 something. So I'm still trying to launch into this world successfully. So we spend a lot of time together. um And my husband and i actually have five kids between us. And so i think every, every day there's something that probably fills my cup that's related to just our family and, and our life together. And, you know, and I stay very busy in community as well.
00:14:48
Speaker
I support a lot of arts organizations because I have a heart for cultural arts and, and things like that. So I do spend a lot of time doing that outside of outside of work here. any Any favorite spots in Adams County?
00:15:01
Speaker
I have really come to love Riverdale Regional Park. Yeah, it's great like You know, I had been there a few times before just for various events, but I can't say that i really, you know, thought much about the park other than going to events there.
00:15:14
Speaker
And I really love that park. It's such an asset to the community. I love nature. I really love that we have this park in the middle of the county that is not only accessible, it has something for everybody, which I really like about it.
00:15:28
Speaker
I love just kind of walking around out there. i love wildlife out there. think that park is just a ah beautiful, beautiful spot. I grew up going to Bar Lake. I love Bar Lake. So i mean I'm kind of, you know, I have an affinity for those natural spaces, but those are probably a couple places that I really just enjoy going to in Adams County.
00:15:48
Speaker
Well, we appreciate you coming on today um and letting our our listeners and viewers getting get to know you a little bit better. She is going to be a guest, as I mentioned, on future shows. um And we're just really lucky to have your leadership and and happy to have you here as part of this organization.
Episode Conclusion and Call to Action
00:16:02
Speaker
Thank you. I'm so excited. I'm excited to be here. We're excited to have you. um And thank you for listening to All in Atoms. For Dionne Stroder, I'm Nikki Kimballton. And thank you so much for joining us. That's a wrap for this episode of All in Adams. Thank you for joining us as we explore the people, programs, and the policies that make Adams County a great place to live, work, and thrive.
00:16:23
Speaker
If you enjoyed the show, be sure to subscribe and share with your friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Have a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know. We're all in for bringing you the stories that matter most.
00:16:34
Speaker
Until next time, take care of each other and stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor, and X. We're all in, Adams, and we're all in for you.