(KAIR)--Honored to have recently been named Atchison’s Interim City Manager.

That’s the message that begins a release from the City of Atchison’s Assistant City Manager Justin Pregont, who was named to fill the top position of leadership last week by the Atchison City Commission, following the resignation of City Manager Becky Berger.
Pregont, in the release, says the role of City Manager, even on an interim basis, “comes with a profound responsibility,” and says it’s important to him to “clearly communicate [his] intentions moving forward.”

Saying that his is “honored and excited to serve as the Interim City Manager for the next 9 months,” Pregont states, in the release that he does “not wish to be considered a candidate for the permanent City Manager position.”

Saying that he’s “developed a passion for real estate development projects, especially downtown housing,” Pregont intends “to continue pursuing those efforts as a private endeavor in the coming years,” having “fully disclosed the extent of [his] real estate interests to the City Commission,” which Pregont says will “be responsible for managing [his] performance as Interim City Manager as well as any real or perceived conflicts of interests” with Pregont’s real estate endeavors.

Adding that it’s possible that his role with the City could change following his 9-months in the Interim role, Pregont says that “for now, [he] will do [his] best to keep this City going in a positive direction.”

Pregont’s release notes that “the search for a permanent City Manager will not begin in earnest until after the upcoming City Commission election,” with Pregont saying, “the new Commission that takes office in December deserves the opportunity to choose Atchison’s next City Manager and any newly appointed manager deserves to know the composition of the City Commission they’re be working for in the years ahead.”