City Manager Toby Dougherty on Friday announced the appointment of Jacob Wood as the new assistant city manager for the city of Hays. Wood was selected for the position out of 95 candidates after a lengthy and extensive national search. He will assume his duties Nov. 16.

Wood comes to Hays from Oakley, where he has served as city administrator since March 2012. Wood graduated from Kansas State University with a master’s degree in public administration. He is a member of the U.S. Army Reserves and has served multiple tours of duty. Most recently, he served as 1st Lieutenant for the 456th Movement Control Team stationed in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

“My family and I have always enjoyed visiting Hays, and we are looking forward to becoming a part of the community,” Wood said. “I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work for the City of Hays and am looking forward to the challenges that await me with this new position.”

“Jacob has a solid background in leadership and city management. He will be a tremendous asset to the organization,” Dougherty said.