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Department Directors
Town Manager Gilbert Davidson started his tenure with Prescott Valley on August 9, 2021. He has nearly 20 years of experience in local government management, including as Town Manager of Marana, Arizona and Willcox, Arizona. From 2017-2019, Davidson served as the Governor’s Chief Operating Officer for the State of Arizona, working with 35 state agencies.
Davidson holds Master of Public Administration and Bachelor of Science in Public Administration and Business Administration degrees from the University of Arizona. He is a credentialed manager with the International City/County Management Association and completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.
Davidson serves on multiple boards and commissions, including the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments, Arizona Capital Source, Growth Partners Arizona, University of Arizona Foundation National Leadership Council, and the Bio5 Business Advisory Board. He is a past president of the Arizona City/County Management Association board of directors.
As a manager, Davidson practices servant and collaborative leadership and is passionate about exceptional government that strives to achieve the vision of the community. He values integrity, ethical decision making, and a government that is responsive and attentive to the needs of the community it serves.
Ryan Judy serves as the Deputy Town Manager for Prescott Valley. Ryan graduated with degrees in Political Science and International Relations from Utah State University and a Masters of Public Administration from Brigham Young University.
He worked for the cities of College Station and Ennis, Texas for six years combined before beginning employment with the Town in 2004. Ryan is responsible for Management Services, Utilities, Communications, and elements of Executive Management. He acts as the Town Manager in the Town Manager's absence and also has responsibility for legislative tracking, assists with preparation of the Town's financial planning program, and participates in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies and priorities of the Town.
The Honorable Keith Carson has served as the Magistrate Court Judge for the Town since 1998.
Casey Danner is the Information Technology Director for the Town of Prescott Valley. Casey has over 30 years of experience in the IT field. He came to the Town in July of 2000 as the Information Technology Manager and was promoted to Director in September of 2018 when Information Technology became its own department. Casey is passionate about customer service and making sure that Prescott Valley staff and citizens have access to the latest technology. He loves implementing new systems that help our residents interact with Town government more easily and efficiently. Casey is a 1993 graduate of Grand Canyon University with degrees in Psychology and Bible. He has a wife, daughter and two active grandsons that keep him busy when he’s not watching over the Town’s IT systems. Casey is also an avid runner, gamer, lover of all things Superhero, collector of Funko Pop! Bobbleheads, and part-time DJ in his spare time.
Fatima Fernandez began her career with the Town of Prescott Valley in September of 2015. She held positions of Court Clerk and Deputy Town Clerk before assuming her present position as Town Clerk in August of 2020 becoming the youngest Department Head in the Town.
She received the Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) certification in July of 2022 after completing an extensive educational program. She is also a Certified Municipal Election Official and a Certified State Election Officer. Ms. Fernandez is a member of the International Municipal Clerks Association (IIMC), a member of the Arizona Municipal Clerks Association (AMCA), and a member of the National Association of Government Archives & Records Administrators (NAGARA).
Ms. Fernandez is a proud graduate of Northern Arizona University and currently resides in Prescott Valley with her family.
Before joining the Prescott Valley team, Kennedy served the City of Tempe since 2012 and previously was the Community Development/ Redevelopment Program Manager for the City of Phoenix Community and Economic Development Department. Prior to that she was the Redevelopment Program Manager in the City of Phoenix Downtown Development Office. Kennedy holds a Master of Urban and Environmental Planning and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Urban Planning and Environmental Design from the Arizona State University School of Architecture and Environmental Design/ Planning. She and her husband Dan, who is in law enforcement, have a grown daughter and son.
Ivan Legler is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, and a Juris Doctorate. He is licensed to practice law in Utah, Idaho, and Arizona. He served as the City Attorney of Pocatello, Idaho from 1984-1990 prior to being appointed Town Attorney of Prescott Valley in 1990. Ivan has served as an officer of the Arizona City Attorney’s Association as well as the International Municipal Lawyers’ Association and was a member of the former Ethics Committee of the Arizona Bar Association. He and his wife Janet have 5 children and 18 grandchildren.
Katie has served as the Town of Prescott Valley Finance Director since 2018. She oversees all fiscal aspects of the Town including preparation and monitoring of the Town budget, financial reporting, payroll processing, accounts payable and receivable, investments, procurement, grant reporting, and tax monitoring. Katie started her career in government service in 2009 and joined the Town of Prescott Valley team as Finance Manager in 2014. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Management degree from Northern Arizona University in 2007, along with a Master of Science – Accounting degree in 2012 and a Master of Business Administration – Public Administration degree in 2014, both from Liberty University. Katie is thankful to serve the community where she grew up and in role where she can make a difference & contribute to the long-term stability of the Town.
Stephanie Robinson has a master’s in public administration candidate at Grand Canyon University, holds a B.S. in Political Science from James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and a Certificate in Leading, Educating and Developing (LEAD) Executive Management Academy from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In Avondale, AZ, Robinson managed a $5.9 million budget and provided oversight for a 40-member team in the areas of human services, community development, revitalization, code enforcement, youth development, senior services, housing, and capacity building. Among her notable achievements, Robinson oversaw the development and implementation of the Avondale Education and Community Engagement Initiative through the establishment of VISTA and NCCC programs; increased community use of a multi-faceted Resource Center by 250 percent in two years while simultaneously decreasing municipal funding and increasing public-private partnerships and human services programs; developed a Transit Coordination team to provide strategic oversight for a $4 million federally funded program, and created the first Curb Appeal Guide and Home Maintenance Guide for City of Avondale residents.
Heather Ruder has her undergraduate degree in civil engineering from the University of Arizona (Go Cats) and holds a graduate degree in Public Administration from Northern Arizona University (Go Lumberjacks).
She has been in the public sector in various positions since 2007 and has extensive experience in building high performing teams, project management and procurement and construction methods. Heather is blessed with four sons, an amazing husband, and two grandchildren.
Chief Robert Ticer is an Arizona native, having the good fortune to grow up in Yavapai County. After graduating high school, Chief Ticer enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he served in the Security Police. Following his honorable discharge, he served with the Prescott Police Department and Arizona Department of Public Safety, totaling nearly 21-years before retiring at the rank of Major. Following this service, Robert served 12-years as Chief of Police for two Colorado municipalities before being hired as Prescott Valley’s Chief of Police in April 2022. Robert holds a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Master’s of Education Degree from Northern Arizona University. He is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command, the FBI National Academy, and the Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute for Police.
The Town of Prescott Valley is the sixth Arizona public sector entity in which Dr. Traaen has led the Human Resources Department team. A lifelong public servant, Teri enjoys both addressing the ongoing challenges as well as the complex service commitment that is required to provide the Town’s workforce with outstanding support in all departments. She has led human resources teams at the municipal level, within the field of higher education, as well as within one of the largest K-12 public school districts in Arizona. She serves the Town as a credentialed senior executive under the International Personnel Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) as well as for the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).
Casey Van Haren is an Arizona native who grew up in Prescott. She has over two decades of experience is public libraries, management, training and customer service. She holds a Master’s in Library and Information Services from San Jose State University and has held many leadership roles in local government including, Library Operations Supervisor for the City of Glendale, Library Manager and Library Director for the Town of Prescott Valley, Arizona. In 2020, after the merge of the Library with Parks, Arts, and Recreation, she became the director of this newly formed department now called Community Services. She has successfully written numerous grants that address the digital divide, small business needs, and community assessment. Casey lives with her husband Trevor and her pug Ernie. When she is not trying to save libraries, parks, arts and recreation, she can be found camping, hunting and hiking. She does not like kale.
BS Civil Engineering, Texas A&M
ME Civil Engineering, Texas A&M
Professional Engineer in AZ and CA
Neil has 33 years of experience in the design and operations of water and wastewater systems, including hydraulics, treatment, and permitting/compliance. He has spent the last 25 years working for the Town of Prescott Valley. Before joining the Town, Neil worked for six years at a consulting engineering firm in California on water and wastewater design projects, and spent two years working as an engineer at the City of San Jose Water Pollution Control Plant.