Scott Sellers, the Kilgore city manager, will begin as Kyle's city manager Jan. 5. He succeeds Lanny Lambert, who left in September for the same position in Converse. Before getting immersed in the administration of the city, Sellers said he would like to get to know the community, its citizens, city staff members and elected officials. "I intend to get to know the staff and community members," he said. "Before official business is considered, the interpersonal relationship of coming into a new community needs to be developed." The last few weeks have been eventful for Sellers. On Nov. 18 the Kilgore city manager was chosen to run the city of Kyle, and on Nov. 22 his wife gave birth to their seventh child, he said. Sellers said he views Kyle's fast growth as one of its strengths. He said he hopes to grow the city in a smart and sustainable way. "The environment will be fast-paced due to the amount of development in the area," he said. "I look forward to the challenge of jumping into that environment." Sellers will earn a base salary of $165,000. His predecessor, Lambert, was set to earn $126,436 in fiscal year 2014–15. On Dec. 2, Kyle City Council unanimously approved Sellers' contract, which begins Jan. 1 and ends Dec. 31, 2018.