At the September 10 City Council Workshop, Strategic Government Resources (SGR) presented an overview of the recruitment process for the City Manager position and outlined the next steps. These steps include finalizing the City Manager recruitment profile and creating a brochure to attract highly qualified candidates.
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The City of Palm Coast is progressing in its efforts to fill the vacant City Manager role, following the termination of the former City Manager on March 19, 2024. Assistant City Manager Lauren Johnston is filling the Acting City Manager role during this interim period.
Shortly after the transition, the City Council provided direction to seek out a qualified, permanent City Manager who aligns with the community’s goals, vision, and values. To assist in the nationwide search, the City Council selected Strategic Government Resources (SGR) at the May 14, 2024, workshop and finalized the contract on June 18, 2024.
At the September 10, 2024, City Council Workshop, SGR presented an overview of the recruitment process and outlined the next steps. These steps include finalizing the City Manager recruitment profile and creating a brochure to attract highly qualified candidates. SGR Executive Vice President Doug Thomas emphasized the importance of finding a candidate who not only meets the professional qualifications but also fits well with the City Council, organization, and community. “It is easy for any recruiter to get a stack of qualified resumes. The hard part is finding a highly qualified candidate who is also the right match for you,” Thomas explained. “Our focus is on fit, which is why our success rate is so strong.”
The search is expected to take approximately 12 weeks from the approval of the position profile, with onsite interviews and candidate selection projected for mid-to-late February 2025. Additionally, SGR’s comprehensive approach guarantees placement, offering to restart the process if the chosen candidate does not work out within a 12-month period.
SGR has a proven track record, having worked with over 450 local governments across 37 states. The organization also prioritizes diverse candidate outreach, partnering with groups such as the League of Women in Government, Alliance for Innovation, Local Government Hispanic Network, and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators to ensure candidate pools are representative of the community.
To ensure the new City Manager selection process reflects the incoming City Council’s preferences, the current City Council has agreed to wait until after the November 2024 election to allow the newly seated Council Members to make the City Manager selection. SGR will meet with new council members immediately following the election to finalize the recruitment brochure, which will then be presented at the November 19, 2024, Business Meeting. Recruitment efforts are expected to launch immediately following that meeting, with applications closing before the Christmas holiday and semi-finalists selected in January 2025.