Leaders in Nederland have appointed Bruce Mills as the new interim city manager, following the upcoming retirement of Cheryl Dowden. Dowden has served in various capacities within the city for over three decades, including her recent role as interim city manager, which she took on in April 2025 after the departure of the previous manager, Chris Duque. Dowden’s interim position will conclude on November 30, 2025, after which she will transition to her role as assistant to the city manager.
Mills brings over 26 years of law enforcement experience to the position. His career includes roles from patrolman to assistant police chief in Austin. Following his retirement from the Austin Police Department, he worked as a civilian in various capacities, including public safety and emergency management at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Mills has also served as interim city manager for multiple cities across Texas.
The decision to hire Mills comes after the city council engaged Texas First Group in mid-October to assist in the search for an interim manager. The journey to find a permanent city manager has been challenging. Initially, Strategic Government Resources was contracted in January 2025 to lead the search, but an offer made to a candidate in August did not materialize after a background check. This led to the termination of Nederland’s partnership with SGR.
Mayor Jeff Darby indicated that the council plans to revisit the search for a permanent city manager at the next council meeting. He emphasized the importance of incorporating Mills’ insights on how to proceed with this process.
As Nederland transitions through this leadership change, the community will undoubtedly be looking for stability and direction in their local governance.
