City sets short list for new manager

The city has narrowed the number of candidates for its city manager position to seven.

At Monday's city council meeting, Mayor Cliff McDuffie updated his fellow council members and the public on the search.

McDuffie and Samuel Halter, a former city manager who now works with the Florida League of Cities, and Barbara McDaniels, a retired assistant town clerk from Davie, whittled down the applications.

A total of 30 had applied for the position being vacated by Steve Spina.

Thirteen of the applicants, including a city employee, were eliminated because they didn't qualify for the position. The main reason was the applicants didn't submit complete applications.

"Practically all were disqualified for that reason," McDuffie said, noting many did not fill out an application at all but merely submitted résumés.

The seven candidates still in the running include:

•Roger Baltz of Port Charlotte. According to information included with his application, Baltz holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Wyoming and a master's in education from the University of Arkansas. He also earned a bachelor's in education from the University of Central Arkansas.

He most recently worked as a county administrator for Charlotte County, resigning after more than seven years "by mutual agreement of all parties," he wrote in his application. His salary when he left was $150,000.

Before that, he was assistant county administrator in Charlotte County; city manager in Crystal River; county administrator in Putnam County; town manager in Pahrump, Nev.; and director of parks and recreation in Lodi, Calif.

•James Coleman of Lady Lake. According to his cover letter, he holds a bachelor's degree in public administration with minor concentrations in international business and military science from the University of Central Florida. He also writes that he has completed coursework for a master's in public administration from UCF.

He works without pay as a ministry team leader and chairman of security task force for North Lake Presbyterian Church in Lady Lake. His duties include training volunteers and staff members on church duties and security activities.

Before that, he served for four years as the city and airport manager for Williston, earning $85,709. He left after an election changed the makeup of the city council and the new council voted to terminate his employment "without cause," according to his application.

He also has worked as acting city engineer and interim public works director for Leesburg; town manager for Lady Lake; acting city manager and director of personnel and risk management for DeLand; and director of personnel and risk management for Longwood.

He served in the Army from 1971 to 1985.

•James Drumm of High Springs. Drumm holds a master's in public administration from the University of South Florida and a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Florida.

Drumm most recently served as city manager of High Springs, holding the job from March 2004 to October. He earned $41.92 an hour, or $87,193 based on 40 hours a week and 52 weeks a year. He writes in his application that he negotiated a resignation because commissioners wanted to terminate his contract for "no cause."

Prior to that position, he was a self-employed management and planning consultant; city manager in Lake Alfred; assistant city manager in Auburndale; management analyst for Hernando County; personnel specialist for the Southwest Florida Water Management District; and a personnel analyst/intern for Gulfport.

•James Gleason of Ocoee. He has a master's degree in public administration from Webster University; a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Barry University; and an associate's in business from Valencia Community College.

He most recently was city manager in Chamblee, Ga., where he earned $113,100. He held the job for two years but left to return to Florida and be closer to family members.

His previous work experience also includes a stint as city manager-city and county adviser to the U.S. government for the International City/County Management Association in Kirkuk, Iraq; city manager of Woodstock, Ga.; city manager of Ocoee; vice president of governmental and community relations for the West Orange Healthcare District; adjunct professor at Barry University; and owner of Compression Therapy Inc., a durable medical equipment company.

•Dianne Morris of Chatham, Va. Morris has a master's degree in public administration from Troy University and a bachelor's from Appalachian State University.

She is housing and development director for Danville, Va., a job she has held since 2004. She earns $66,300.

Her previous work experience includes housing development administrator for Roanoke, Va.; community development manager, accountant and budget analyst for the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners; adjunct professor for St. Petersburg Junior College; and budget analyst for the University of Virginia.

•Richard Reade of Auburndale. He has a master's in public administration from Florida State University and a bachelor's in business administration from Florida Atlantic University.

He is employed by Delray Beach as a sustainability officer/public information officer. He's held that spot since 2009 and is paid $5,858 a month, or $70,296 a year. Prior to his current job, he was an interim assistant city manager and public information officer for Delray Beach in 2009.

His previous work experience includes city manager, finance director and utilities director for Port Richey; president and managing member of Entitlements LLC, where he was responsible for the property entitlement process for 20 residential and mixed-use projects; city manager in Davenport; assistant city manager in Auburndale from 2002 to 2003; and assistant to the city manager there from 1999 to 2002.

•Edward F. Smyth Jr. of Hawthorne. He has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Loretto Heights College in Denver and a master's in public administration from Rutgers University.

He was most recently employed as city manager of Hawthorne, a post he held for one year. He earned $65,000 but left because his contract was terminated.

Prior to that, he was a deputy city manager in Leesburg; assistant county administrator in Mathews County, Va.; town manager in Crewe, Va.; assistant to the city manager in Craig, Colo.; Virginia Main Street program manager in Clifton Forge, Va.; assistant to the city manager in Steamboat Springs, Colo.; finance department intern in Newark, N.J.; and he also worked with USWest Communications in Denver.

McDuffie said he, Halter and McDaniels ranked the finalists as such: Coleman, Smyth, Drumm, Gleason, Baltz, Reade and Morris.

The city council will meet Monday to determine a date and time for interviewing the candidates.

Spina is retiring after 15 years and plans to leave in June. He has finished coursework at the University of South Florida for a doctoral degree in political science and hopes to find an academic position in Tampa.

The position pays between $70,200 and $105,290.

(813) 259-8170