Joanne Keene said she knew right away when she saw the opening for Sedona deputy city manager that it was something she had to apply for.

“This feels like a dream job for me,” she said. “It was a very competitive process and the fact I was selected and somewhat local was exciting and helped with that transition.”

Now on the job for just less than a month, she’s been spending a lot of her time learning the ropes and the ins and outs of the city.

“It’s an organization with a great reputation and I think I was really excited about Karen’s leadership,” she said, referring Sedona City Manager Karen Osburn. “I had heard a lot of great things from the people who have worked with her and for her and that she’s a great mentor. Plus, I was ready to move back into city government.”

Keene has almost 25 years of experience in local, state and federal government. She was in her previous position with Coconino County for just the past year, but was the county’s government relations director from 2007 to 2015.

She has served for five years as the executive vice president and chief of staff to Northern Arizona University. In addition, for eight years, she served in various roles in Arizona and in Washington, D.C., for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Keene is a graduate of Northern Arizona University with a master’s in public administration and a bachelor’s in English and broadcast journalism. She is also a certified public manager through Arizona State University.

Keene, who was born in England but grew up in Phoenix, said while Sedona’s population may be relatively small, its issue are not.

“Sedona has some big challenges for a small community,” she said. “When I was doing my research prior to interviewing for the position, I was very surprised with everything that was happening here.”

In terms of her role as deputy city manager, Keene said it involves working with the various city departments at the direction of the city manager to implement city council’s goals. It’s also a matter of being someone who department heads can bounce things off of and taking the lead in various projects while working with the community.

“So far things have been great,” she said. “I’ve just been learning the organization and community while reaching out to individuals in the community. But mainly a lot of internal work. I have some departments reporting to me directly, so a lot of one-on-one meetings with them. I’ve also attended council meetings and the budget session, so it’s been really busy.

“I felt I understand the issues from the outside but I don’t think you can ever truly understand from the inside until you’re working here full time.”

When Keene came aboard, there was a lot of transition within the city government. Osburn’s promotion to city manager left vacancies at deputy city manager — formerly titled “assistant city manager” — and community development director, both of which Osburn held simultaneously the last few years.

At that time there was also a vacancy in parks and recreation as well as in several other positions throughout city hall. Recreation and Aquatics Supervisor Dawn Norman was promoted to Parks and Recreation manager on June 3.

“I think when you come into an organization that’s in transition and you’re new, it’s just an opportunity to step in and fill some holes,” Keene said. “Karen has been great in including me in pretty much everything, which has been helpful. I think that’s the sign of a good manager — and she feels comfortable in doing that.”

That admiration is mutual.

“In just a few short weeks of working with Joanne it is already obvious that she will be a tremendous asset to the community and an excellent fit for our organization,” Osburn said. “I feel very fortunate that she chose to become part of our Sedona team.”