OCEAN CITY -- Ocean City's mayor and council members met on Tuesday with the head search consultant for the firm that will help the town find a new city manager.
John Anzivino, vice president of Springsted Inc., met individually with them and town department heads to evaluate what traits are desired for Dennis Dare's replacement. Council was also given the opportunity to choose as many as 10 community leaders whose ears Anzivino could bend, as well, as he and his colleagues attempt to form a community and position profile for the candidate recruitment process.
At the council's Jan. 3 or Jan. 10 meeting, Anzivino hopes to have the profiles assembled. After that, his Richmond, Va.-based firm will embark on its "ambitious recruiting schedule" that will span the nation, he told council at its most recent meeting.
In January and February, candidates will be recruited and screened. Then, semifinalists will be identified, and the list will be narrowed down to about 10 finalists. After that, four-to-six of these candidates will be chosen as finalists to be interviewed with council present. The interviews are expected to take place in March, and a council majority will have to approve the man or woman who will fill the position that has been held by Mayor Rick Meehan in an interim status since September.
Anzivino and his team of two other consultants will update council and Human Resources Director Wayne Evans often on its progress, he said.
His consultant team's goal is to take care of all the semantics, so council will be able to focus solely on the individuals who make it through the application gauntlet. The firm will get word out on the job opening in many venues, and it will vet promising candidates by way of background checks and other fact-finding measures.
They will find the "cleanest folks possible," without pending litigation or any serious driving infractions, Anzivino said, to name a few of the traits that may be a dealbreaker for candidates.
"Finding the right person ... is really a difficult task," said Anzivino. "Finding that right fit and identifying the skills you need for that person, their personality traits and all of the other factors that go into being a perfect city manager for Ocean City are very important and often difficult for a government body to pull together."
Anzivino attempted to alleviate Councilwoman Mary Knight's concern about balancing the potentially varied expectations of council members -- the vote to ask for Dare's resignation was 4-3 -- by saying his company works to blend together the desires of all involved in the selection process.
"It's about the expectations of the city, not the individual council members," Anzivino said. "We need somebody who technically has the experience, but who also has the personality to work with everyone."
Anzivino said the blending together of the desirable facets is "an art" his firm has expansive experience with.
Councilman Joe Hall told Anzivino he believes the town has enough talent internally to find someone to fill the position, and Anzivino assured him the application process would be an open one, and that everyone would be considered.
"If (someone internally) is the best for the community, that's fine with us, but we have to get there and we do have to have an open process," said Anzivino.
smuska@dmg.gannett.com
410-213-9442, ext. 14
John Anzivino, vice president of Springsted Inc., met individually with them and town department heads to evaluate what traits are desired for Dennis Dare's replacement. Council was also given the opportunity to choose as many as 10 community leaders whose ears Anzivino could bend, as well, as he and his colleagues attempt to form a community and position profile for the candidate recruitment process.
At the council's Jan. 3 or Jan. 10 meeting, Anzivino hopes to have the profiles assembled. After that, his Richmond, Va.-based firm will embark on its "ambitious recruiting schedule" that will span the nation, he told council at its most recent meeting.
In January and February, candidates will be recruited and screened. Then, semifinalists will be identified, and the list will be narrowed down to about 10 finalists. After that, four-to-six of these candidates will be chosen as finalists to be interviewed with council present. The interviews are expected to take place in March, and a council majority will have to approve the man or woman who will fill the position that has been held by Mayor Rick Meehan in an interim status since September.
Anzivino and his team of two other consultants will update council and Human Resources Director Wayne Evans often on its progress, he said.
His consultant team's goal is to take care of all the semantics, so council will be able to focus solely on the individuals who make it through the application gauntlet. The firm will get word out on the job opening in many venues, and it will vet promising candidates by way of background checks and other fact-finding measures.
They will find the "cleanest folks possible," without pending litigation or any serious driving infractions, Anzivino said, to name a few of the traits that may be a dealbreaker for candidates.
"Finding the right person ... is really a difficult task," said Anzivino. "Finding that right fit and identifying the skills you need for that person, their personality traits and all of the other factors that go into being a perfect city manager for Ocean City are very important and often difficult for a government body to pull together."
Anzivino attempted to alleviate Councilwoman Mary Knight's concern about balancing the potentially varied expectations of council members -- the vote to ask for Dare's resignation was 4-3 -- by saying his company works to blend together the desires of all involved in the selection process.
"It's about the expectations of the city, not the individual council members," Anzivino said. "We need somebody who technically has the experience, but who also has the personality to work with everyone."
Anzivino said the blending together of the desirable facets is "an art" his firm has expansive experience with.
Councilman Joe Hall told Anzivino he believes the town has enough talent internally to find someone to fill the position, and Anzivino assured him the application process would be an open one, and that everyone would be considered.
"If (someone internally) is the best for the community, that's fine with us, but we have to get there and we do have to have an open process," said Anzivino.
smuska@dmg.gannett.com
410-213-9442, ext. 14
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