Manager Applications Pour In
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Forty-seven people from 20 states have applied to be Emporia’s next city manager and a few more could still trickle in.
Because of the volume of applications, consultant Chuck Anderson of Walters-Oldani has asked for more time to review the candidates. Anderson will present a book of semifinalists to the Emporia City Commission on Jan. 10, one week later than originally planned.
“I’m impressed,” Mayor Jim Kessler said. “I remember when Lawrence was searching for one, they got 20 applications, if that many.”
The list of candidates did not include Interim City Manager Mark McAnarney, who has decided not to apply for the job. McAnarney was assistant city manager under Steve Commons, the city’s previous chief executive.
The 47 people who have applied to date come from a variety of fields. According to Kessler and Anderson:
• Thirty-three of the applicants have experience as either a city or county managernt to one.
• Six have been department heads with a city or county government.
• Three applicants come from state or federal government positions.
• Two of the applicants have non-profit experience.
• Three applicants come from the private sector.
Several of the applications came from Kansas, Kessler said, though he could not yet say how many.
Kessler said that Emporia’s history with city managers may have boosted the number of applicants. Emporia has had three city managers in 46 years — Virgil Basgall (1960-1981), Brent McFall (1981-1986) and Steve Commons (1986-2006). That could make the city an attractive option for a candidate looking to the long term, Kessler said.
More detailed demographic information on the candidate pool was not yet available.
“We don’t know what they look like yet, but surely we’ll be able to find someone out of that group,” Kessler said,
The city has said that it hopes to have a new city manager chosen by the end of January.