Idaho Falls hires public information officer, chief of staff positions; looks to fill Economic Development opening
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The following is a news release from the city of Idaho Falls.
IDAHO FALLS — Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper has hired eastern Idaho native and former city of Idaho Falls Public Information Officer Bud Cranor as her new Chief of Staff and former East Idaho News reporter Eric Grossarth to replace Cranor as the city’s Public Information Officer.
Cranor came to Idaho Falls from Las Vegas where he worked in state and local government for nearly twenty years. During his time in Nevada, he served as the Director of the Governor’s office in Las Vegas. He also served three different mayoral administrations in the City of Henderson, Nevada, as the Director of the Office of the Mayor & City Council, Director of Communications and Council Support and in other roles in communications and public affairs. He served as the Idaho Falls Public Information Officer since returning to Idaho in 2018.
“Bud has a tremendous wealth of experience in local government administration, especially in rapidly growing communities like Idaho Falls,” said Mayor Rebecca Casper. “He’s got decades of experience in local government and his experience in executive administration at the state and local levels is extensive. His depth and breadth of involvement with everything from public safety and emergency management to budgeting and personnel issues make him an ideal choice to help with the day-to-day operations that he’ll be involved with in this new role.”
Cranor’s experience includes serving on the Clark County School District’s Bond Oversight Committee, responsible for providing oversight of the the multi-billion dollar capital construction bonds for the nation’s fifth largest school district. He was also appointed by two governors and served as Nevada’s first public member of the State Board of Engineers and Land Surveyors, a member of the state’s Merit Award’s Board, and on the Nevada State Quarter Design Commission.
In his new role, Cranor will oversee the day-to-day administrative duties and staff of the Office of the Mayor. He will also assist with the city’s legislative priorities as well as other special projects and issues.
Grossarth joins the Idaho Falls team as the new lead public information officer for the city, filling the position vacated by Cranor. Grossarth has worked in the area for nearly four years as a reporter for East Idaho News.com where he garnered local and national experience covering such high-profile stories as the Daybell-Vallow case. Grossarth was part of the team that traveled to Hawaii and got national attention for East Idaho News’ comprehensive coverage of the story.
In addition, Grossarth has also worked for the national news program Dateline NBC as a local contributor and is perhaps best known for his work with East Idaho News in the Secret Santa Program, helping identify and surprise area residents with generous gifts from an anonymous benefactor during the holiday season.
“People already know and love Eric from his very public role as a reporter in the community,” said Casper. “Eric’s personality and experience, combined with his already broad knowledge of the city and our region will be a huge asset for us. We’re very excited to have him as part of our team and look forward to working with him.”
In his new position, Grossarth will handle public information duties for the majority of the city’s 11 departments, including Parks and Recreation, Idaho Falls Power and Fiber, Community Development Services and the Idaho Falls Regional Airport. He will also take over duties for areas including social media and the city’s main website. Grossarth’s first day with the City will be Monday, February 28.
In addition to the new Chief of Staff and PIO positions, the city is also looking to fill the position of Economic Development Administrator. That position was previously filled by Dana Briggs, who recently departed the role to take a position in the private sector.
The Economic Development Administrator position works extensively with departments like Public Works, Community Development Services and the public sector to create economic development opportunities within the Idaho Falls area.
The position also interfaces with agencies like REDI, the Idaho National Laboratory and others on projects such as the Innovation District and to help find incentives for businesses such as Costco and others to locate within the city. Recruitment for the Economic Development position is currently underway. Those interested can apply at www.idahofallsidaho.gov. They can also contact the Office of the Mayor for more information at 208-612-8306 or at mayor@idahofallsidaho.gov.