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Madeira Beach chooses city manager
An offer will be made to W.D. Higginbotham, currently working in Iraq
By WAYNE AYERS
Article published on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 |
MADEIRA BEACH – The city’s search for a new manager, which began seven months ago when Jill Silverboard resigned, is apparently nearing a conclusion. Following recent interviews with four candidates, the Board of Commissioners picked three finalists.
The commission then met on Monday, June 9 and decided to make an offer to W.D. Higginbotham Jr. who is currently a consultant serving as public finance adviser to a provincial reconstruction team in Iraq. He was town manager at Surfside, Fla., during 2006 and 2007, and has also been manager in Melbourne Beach and Gainesville.
A surprise entry among the frontrunners is former Belleair town manager Steve Cottrell. Cottrell had served as city manager of Indian Rocks Beach for a brief period after leaving Belleair, and was a late entrant into the Madeira Beach candidate field.
Another finalist was Mark Glover, who served as interim finance director and administrative services director at Casselberry in 2007 and has been a director of nonprofit groups advising local governments in Florida since 1987. Glover held town manager positions in Colorado during the 1970s and ’80s.
Eliminated in the latest round of interviews was James Paros, a 30-year employee of Monroe County in the Florida Keys.
Human resource director Deborah Cline contacted commissioners, co-workers and peers of the finalists to get an assessment of their capabilities.
Cline said in a summary report that Higginbotham is held in high regard by previous employers, who felt his experience as a director of economic development for the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council and the downtown redevelopment of Gainesville would be beneficial to Madeira Beach. A concern is his possession of a real estate license, which Cline indicated is currently inactive.
Glover was described as “very bright with a wealth of contacts from Florida Innovative Group, where he served as director from 1987 to 2006.” Glover was also cited for his expertise in research, analysis, benchmarking, measurements and processes.
Cottrell, who was town manager at Belleair for nearly 10 years, is viewed by his former associates as bright, extremely competent and having the potential necessary to do the job well. Cline also said there was some concern among former employees that his expectations were too high, making him difficult to work with at times. Cottrell was described by some as lacking people skills.
Correction
Changed Cotrell to Cottrell.
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Article published on Tuesday, June 10, 2008
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