Owatonna council taps assistant for top admin post

Owatonna Assistant City Administrator Jenna Tuma can drop the “assistant” from her job title.

On Friday, city council members voted unanimously to offer her the city administrator position opening up with the retirement of Kris Busse.

Tuma has served in her current role since August 2024 and, previously, as Parks, Recreation & Facilities Director. Her background also includes experience as Park Operations Manager for the City of Minneapolis as well as another 20 years of supervisory experience in the public sector.

Officials made their selection after interviewing three candidates on Tuesday. The group also toured the city and met with the community during a meet-and-greet before Tuesday’s city council meeting.

The next step in the process is finalizing a start date and terms and conditions of employment, which will then be presented to the City Council for approval.