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Okaloosa County BOCC — November 4, 2012 — Colin Baenziger — reading text
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Assistant County Administrator of Marion
County, FL, selected on September 11, 2005 and remains with the County.
2) County Manager Recruitment, Brevard County, FL (population 536,000)
Contact: Commission Chuck Nelson at (321) 454-6601 or
chuck.nelson@brevardcounty.us
Human Resources Director Frank Abbate at (321) 633-2010
frank.abbate@brevardcounty.us
Brevard County Government Center
2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way
Building C
Viera, FL 32940
Brevard County is located near Florida’s east coast and is the home to Cape Canaveral. CB&A
was selected in early May 2009 to the County’s next County Manager. Our work included
recruiting and advertising for candidates, conducting background checks, selecting the most
qualified, recommending them for interviews, coordinating the interview process, and assisting
in the contract negotiations. Interviews took place on July 31st and Howard Tipton, former
Deputy County Administrator for Orange County, FL, was selected on August 4th. Colin
Baenziger served as the project manager for this search.
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IV. References / City Manager Searches (continued)
3) City Manager, City of Destin, FL (population 11,200)
Contact: Mayor Sarah “Sam” Seevers at (850) 654-9770 or
sseevers@cityofdestin.com
Human Resources Director Chuck Garcia at (850) 837-4242, or
cgarcia@cityofdestin.com
City of Destin
4200 Indian Bayou Trail
Destin, FL 32541
We conducted City Manager searches for Destin in 2003 and 2011. Both are described briefly
here. The City is located in the Florida Panhandle on the Gulf of Mexico near Eglin Air Force
Base. Colin Baenziger & Associates’ contract to find the City of Destin’s City Manager was
awarded on August 15, 2003 and the closing date for applications was September 26th. On
November 3rd, the City Council selected Gregory Kisela, then an Assistant City Manager with
the City of Fort Lauderdale, FL, to be its next City Manager. Mr. Kisela was selected as
Florida’s City Manager of the Year for 2008. He left Destin in 2011 to become County
Administrator for Walton County, FL, and we were retained to find his replacement. We began
on May 24th and the Council selected Ms. Maryann Ustick, formerly the Assistant City Manager
for North Las Vegas, NV, to be the City’s next manager on August 22nd.
4) County Administrator, Flagler County, FL (population 83,000).
Contact: Commissioner George Hanns at (386) 313-4093, or
ghanns@flaglercounty.org
Human Resources Director Joseph Mayer at (386) 313-4007, or
jmayer@flaglercounty.org
Flagler County
1769 East Moody Boulevard
Bunnell, FL 32110
Fax: (386) 313-4107
CB&A was hired in late July 2007 to find the County’s next County Administrator. Our work
included searching the nation to find the right person for the job, interviewing the candidates,
conducting thorough background checks, and recommending finalists for the county to
interview. The contract was a firm fixed fee of $19,250 which included our fee and all our
expenses. It also included a two year guarantee should the selected candidate leave for any
reason. The only item the County paid for was to bring the candidates and their spouses to the
county for the interviews. We were the prime and only contractor and did not use
subcontractors. The County selected Craig Coffey, formerly County Administrator of Desoto
County, on November 5, 2007. Mr. Coffey remains with the County.
5) County Administrator, Hernando County, FL (population 172, 800)
Contact: Commissioner Dave Russell at (352) 754-4000 or
drussell@hernandocounty.us
Cheryl Marsden at (352) 540-6646 or
cmarsden@co.herando.fl.us
20 North Main Street, Room 263
Brooksville, FL 34601
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IV. References / City Manager Searches (continued)
Fax: (352) 754-4477
Hernando County selected CB&A to conduct its County Administrator search in December
2011 and we began work in mid- January of 2012. The County is located a little north of Tampa
on Florida’s Gulf Coast. We were asked to search the nation for the most qualified candidates.
Interviews were conducted on April 5th and 6th. The County selected Mr. Leonard Sossamon,
formerly County Administrator of Newberry County, SC, and City Manager of Concord, NC, on
April 9th.
6) County Manager, St. Johns County, FL (population 162,000)
Contact: Commission Chairman Ron Sanchez (904) 209-0302,
bccd2@sjcfl.us
County Attorney Patrick McCormick at (904) 209-0805, or
pmccormack@co.st-johns.fl.us,
St. Johns County Offices
500 San Sebastian View
St. Augustine, Florida 32084
Colin Baenziger & Associates was selected on December 28, 2006, to conduct the County
Administrator search. At the request of the county, we lengthened our normal 90 day process
and interviews were held on May 17th and 18th with a final selection scheduled for May 22, 2007.
Our work included scouring the nation to find the right person for the job, interviewing the
candidates, conducting through background checks, and recommending finalists for the city to
interview. Mr. Michael Wanchick, Assistant City Manager for Richardson, TX, was selected.
We subsequently found a Director of Health and Human Services, a Director of Library Services
and an Economic Development Director for the County.
7) County Administrator, Polk County, IA (population 400,000)
Contact: Former Board Member E.J. Giovannetti at
(515) 286-3120, or EGiovannetti@co.polk.ia.us
Board of Supervisors Project Manager Sue Elliott at
(515) 286-3128.or selliot@co.polk.ia.us
Polk County
111 Court Avenue, Suite 300
Des Moines, IA 50309
Fax: (515) 323-5225
CB&A was hired in mid-April 2007 to find the County’s next County Administrator. Our
work included searching the nation to find the right person for the job, interviewing the
candidates, conducting through background checks, and recommending finalists for the county to
interview. After careful deliberation, the County selected Ronald Olson, formerly Assistant City
Manager of Arlington, TX on July 24, 2007. When Mr. Olson left in April 2011 to become the
City Manager of Corpus Christi, TX, Polk County retained CB&A to find his replacement. The
search began on May 4th, interviews were held on July 21st and 22nd and David Jones, then
County Administrator of Tazewell County, IL, was selected on July 25th.
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IV. References / City Manager Searches (continued)
8) County Manager, Union County, NC (population 198,600)
Contact: Former Commissioner Kim Rogers at (704) 575-4074, or
kimrogers@co.union.nc.us
Former Commissioner Tracy Kuehler at 704-283-3810, or
tracykuehler@co.union.nc.us
Human Resources Director Mark Watson at (704) 283-3869, or
Watson@co.union.nc.us
500 North Main Street
Monroe, NC 28112
Fax: (704) 292-2590
CB&A was formally selected to perform the County Manager on September 7, 2010. We were
asked to conduct the search extremely quickly so that interviews could be conducted prior to the
November election. We sought candidates from around the country, performed the candidate
screening and interviews were held on October 22nd with a selection made on October 25th. The
Commission selected Ms. Cynthia Coto, formerly the County Manager of Volusia County, FL,
and Seminole County, FL. Ms. Coto signed a contract on October 29th and began work on
November 15th. Colin Baenziger served as the lead consultant.
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V. Fee and Warranty
Fee
CB&A does not bid its work based on a fee plus expenses. Instead, we offer an alternative
which is a firm, fixed fee of $21,500. The advantage to the County is it knows exactly what it
will pay. The advantage to CB&A is that we do not have keep track of every minor expense.
It should be noted that the firm, fixed fee includes all our expenses and costs. In other words,
the only thing the County will pay CB&A is the agreed upon fee. The only other costs the
County will be responsible for are the costs associated with the candidates’ (and spouses, if
invited) travel, accommodations and meals for the interview process.
We will bill the fee as the phases are completed and according to the following schedule:
Phase I: Needs Analysis / Information Gathering $ 3,000
Phase II: Recruiting 7,000
Phase III: Screening and Warranty 8,000
Phase IV: Interview Process Coordination and Manager Selection 1,750
Phase V: Negotiation and Continuing Assistance 1,750
As an aside, our fees are not scientifically calculated. Instead they are based on average costs
and have been found to provide the firm with a reasonable profit. They also provide the client
with precise knowledge of what its cost will be if it selects our firm.
If the County asks us to perform work that is clearly beyond the scope of this proposal, it will be
billed at a rate of $125 per hour. No such work will be performed without your written
authorization. Please note that we have never billed - nor requested - additional funds beyond
our originally quoted fee for any search, even when we have been entitled to it.
Warranty
Colin Baenziger & Associates offers the best warranty in the industry. We can offer it because
we have confidence in our work. Provided the County instructs us with conducting a full search
and assuming it selects from among the candidates we recommend, we warrant the following:
1) We will not approach the selected candidate for any other position as long as the
individual is employed by the County.
2) If the selected individual leaves for any reason other than an Act of God (such as total
incapacitation or death) within first year, CB&A will repeat the search at no charge for
our services. If he/she departs during the next year for any reason other than an Act of
God, we will repeat the search for the reimbursement of our expenses only.
3) If you are not satisfied with any of the candidates we present, CB&A will repeat the
search until you are satisfied.
4) Our price is guaranteed and will not be exceeded for any reason, even if conditions
change after the contract is executed.
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More CB&A Clients…
Polk County, IA (County Seat and
