Helena selects Alana Lake as city manager amid recent turnover, starts January

The Helena City Commission approved Alana Lake as city manager in a 3-2 vote, selecting her on Dec. 17, 2025; Lake formally began serving in January 2026 and will serve under the commission’s guidance. Outgoing Mayor Wilmot Collins, Commissioner Sean Logan and Mayor-elect Emily Dean voted in favor of the appointment.

Lake is a fifth-generation Montanan who grew up in Frenchtown and moved to Helena in 2023. She brings more than a decade of military and federal law enforcement experience and most recently served as executive director of the Montana Public Service Commission, where she oversaw more than 40 personnel and managed a $6 million budget. Lake has not previously worked in city government.

The recruitment drew roughly 85 applications and interviews were conducted on a compressed timeline. That pace drew criticism from some commissioners and public commenters; Commissioner Melinda Reed said, “This process was rushed, opaque, and deprived both commissioners and the public of the opportunity to participate and deliberate.” Commissioner Andy Shirtliff (the name also appears in some accounts as Shirliff) said, “I believe that the new commission and new mayor should be making the decision and have a say.” By contrast, Commissioner Sean Logan said, “I am confident that she will not only provide honest and respectful feedback to the commission, staff, and the public, but she will be responsive to hearing the same from all three of those groups.”

Lake described the transition as smooth and credited former city manager Tim Burton and city staff for guidance. “He was willing to provide time before he left the seat where we sat down and discussed a number of things. Even after his departure, he's offered to be a resource, and so I've definitely capitalized on that,” Lake said.

Lake laid out early priorities centered on long-term planning and collaboration. “Think about the future of Helena, you know, not just what's here in front of us today, but how can we be thoughtful and strategic about what we want to do in the future,” she said. She added that her “main goal coming in has been to listen and to learn” and emphasized that “really understanding the inner workings and details of a lot of these projects is extremely important” for community-backed infrastructure. Her initial agenda includes managing the city budget, working with Helena schools on recent bond projects, addressing affordable housing and concerns about the local job market.

Lake’s arrival comes amid persistent leadership turnover since long-time manager Ron Alles retired in 2018 after nearly 28 years. Local accounts differ on the exact count: one notes five city managers or interim managers in the last six years, while another counts four city managers not including interims. The recent history includes the 2019 hiring and February 2020 contract termination of Ana Cortez, a departure that cost the city nearly $164,000. Lake’s stated aim will be to stabilize leadership while taking on the budget, school bond work, housing and jobs in her first months.