Oak Ridge, Tenn. considers 11 candidates for City Manager amid national search effort (The Oak RIdger)

Lessons in comparative government:

The City of Oak Ridge, Tennessee is recruiting qualified candidates for City Manager, using a respected national search firm.  That's the standard of care, recommended by former St. Augustine Beach Mayor Sherman Gary Snodgrass, a former HR executive and member of the Board of Directors of Exelon (merged company formed by Commonwealth Edison of Chicago and Philadelphia Electric),

No search firm in St. Augustine, Florida (4-1 vote, Commissioner Springfield dissenting), only three monochromatic white male applicants considered. 

No search firm in Johns County, Florida (5-0 vote to hire and rehire unqualified HUNTER SINCLAIR CONRAD, without a search, without advertising, without an application, without a background check, without allowing any other applicants, not considering any women or minority candidates).  Wonder why?  CONRAD's developer sponsors and friends, like CHRISTIAN WHITEHURST, then a public comment speaker, now Commission Chair, who said he feared a national search would result in hiring someone who didn't know the difference between Hastings and Ponte Vedra.  

Other-directed watch battery installer CHRISTIAN WHITEHURST, who never matriculated and who lacks a lick of sense at times, got his way. 

Without disclosing his federal status, HUNTER SINCLAIR CONRAD was hired, obviating the need for him to explain his status as an unindicted coconspirator, "Clerk E," in the criminal indictment in United States of America v. PENN CREDIT CORP. and DONALD DONAGHER, JR., inter alia alleging CONRAD took $8000 from a Clerk's office debt collection contractor "intended as a bribe." Oink. 

From The Oak Ridger: 

Find out who the 11 candidates are who were recommended for Oak Ridge city manager

Special meeting called for Tuesday to decide which to interview

Donna Smith

Oakridger

Executive search firm GovHR USA has recommended 11 candidates for Oak Ridge City Council to consider to fill the city manager's position left with the retirement of Mark Watson on May 5.

"We had a successful outreach effort yielding 54 resumes from 23 states and one other country," GovHR USA President Heidi Voorhees stated in a letter to council, which listed the firm's recommended candidates.

A special called meeting for council to consider which of these candidates they wish to interview, as well as any of the 54 people who applied, is set for 6 p.m. June 27 in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building. Voorhees will attend that meeting via Zoom to provide an overview of the recruitment process and answer any questions regarding candidates.

The 11 recommended by GovHR USA are:

• Brian J. Borne, former city manager for Monroe, North Carolina
• Casey Bradley, city administrator for Baraboo, Wisconsin
• Ciro M. Cetrangolo, village administrator/chief of police for Richmond, Illinois
• Randall Dowling, county manager for Harris County, Hamilton, Georgia
• Aretha R. Ferrell-Benavides, former city manager for Duncanville, Texas
• Randall W. "Randy" Hemann, town manager for Mooresville, North Carolina
• Arthur J. "A.J." Krieger, town manager for Firestone, Colorado
• Shannon Lavrin, planning director/assistant city manager for Greenville, South Carolina
• John D. Manning, former assistant city administrator for Branson, Missouri
• James Tyson "Ty" Ross, city manager for Loudon, Tennessee, general manager for Loudon Utilities
• Julius Suchy, township manager for Ada Township, Ada, Michigan

• Nine Oak Ridge-Knoxville area residents are among the 54 people who applied but were not recommended by GovHR USA.

  At their monthly meeting earlier in June, council members increased compensation for GovHR USA by $5,000, raising it to $30,000 to pay for travel and other expenses.