Sandi Fowler, Casey Drew to depart city of Cedar Rapids leadership roles

CEDAR RAPIDS — Two high-ranking officials in Cedar Rapids City Hall who have served Iowa’s second-largest city for decades will leave their positions this month, City Manager Jeff Pomeranz announced Tuesday, prompting some organizational restructuring.

Deputy City Manager Sandi Fowler and Finance Director Casey Drew are stepping down after careers that saw the city change its form of government from commissioners to the council-manager system, as well as numerous disasters including the 2008 and 2016 floods, COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 derecho.

In a memo to city directors and the City Council, Pomeranz shared a plan to revise the city manager and director team reporting structure “to ensure the city organization continues to operate smoothly and effectively” as Fowler and Drew’s departures neared.

Fowler will retire after her last day Dec. 16, having served the city since 1990, first being hired as the assistant to the public safety commissioner. She moved up through the ranks to be named to the deputy role in 2018, where she oversees city operations including public works and building services, among others.

Fowler earned her bachelor’s in management from Mount Mercy University and a master’s in public administration from Upper Iowa University.

Pomeranz said he first met Fowler when he was city manager of West Des Moines and chair of the state I-JOBS board, which doled out disaster recovery funding. She helped Cedar Rapids be “better and stronger than it had been, under the circumstances with a devastating flood,” he said.

“Her fingerprints are on so many different areas of the city organization, and so I've always known that if I gave Sandi a job to do or she had a job that she wanted done, that she would do it well and professionally and with dedication,” Pomeranz said.

Drew has worked for the city since 1996 and is stepping down for a role with Kirkwood Community College. His last day is Wednesday.

He is responsible for overseeing the city’s financial and budget reporting as well as its long-term financial plan. Drew also provides oversight to the Finance Department and of the city’s event facilities, including the city-owned DoubleTree by Hilton hotel and convention complex, Paramount Theatre and ImOn Ice Arena.

He graduated with a bachelor’s in accounting from the University of Northern Iowa.

Pomeranz said that after he was named city manager in 2010 and met Drew, he quickly understood how talented and committed Drew is to municipal finance and the city organization.

“I would come to Casey with a big idea or a small idea, but it always involves money and how do we get it done,” Pomeranz said. “ … In the end, Casey has always supported what we want to accomplish and he has found ways of innovatively making things happen.”

Both Fowler and Drew earned salaries of $216,643.51 in their roles.

With the restructuring opportunity, Pomeranz will now oversee some people who previously reported to Fowler, including:

He will continue to oversee the Fire Chief Greg Smith, Police Chief Wayne Jerman, the finance director, Utilities Director Roy Hesemann and Assistant City Manager Angie Charipar.

Charipar will now oversee some of Fowler’s current reports:

She also will continue to oversee Program Manager Amanda Grieder, Communications Division Manager Phillip Platz and team, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Manager Elizabeth Buch and Administrative Coordinator Andrea Drew.

Development Services Manager Ken DeKeyser, who currently reports to Fowler, will report to Economic Development Manager Caleb Mason. He will continue to oversee the Economic Development Specialist Ana Stomp and Economic Development Coordinator Scott Mather.

In the future, Fowler’s soon-to-be vacant role will be retooled into the title of assistant city manager. This person will work to enhance the city’s daily operations and implement the policies and goals set by council.

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