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Highlands Today

Process Begins To Replace Carl Cool

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By Jim  Konkoly | Highlands Today

Published: September 23, 2007

SEBRING — The search for a successor to Highlands County Administrator Carl Cool will begin in earnest on Tuesday, when the five county commissioners seek advice from an executive recruiting firm and a top administrator at South Florida Community College.

Cool, who has been the county's top executive officer for 16 years, announced in early August that he will retire June 30, 2008.

Before advertising for the administrator's job, commissioners plan to decide whether to hire an executive recruiting firm and/or appoint a citizens committee to assist them in their search.

"We want to get it going," Guy Maxcy, chairman of the commissioners, said about setting up the process to hire a new administrator.

"We're going to try to agree to and build a process on Tuesday and hopefully have direction for staff," he added.

About 80 candidates applied for the job back in 1991 when Cool, then the Highlands County public works director and formerly the county engineer, was named as the county's first administrator.

For advice on how to structure and conduct the search for the county's top officer, commissioners will talk with Bill Shaffer, vice president for planning and institutional effectiveness and governmental relations at SFCC.

"Bill Shaffer was instrumental in setting up the whole package for the selection of their (SFCC's) president," Maxcy said.

"He was highly involved in SFCC's selection process," Maxcy added, "and so he knows the process with committees and without committees, with consultants and without consultants.

"He knows the process inside and out, and so he's a very good person for us to talk to."

Commissioners also will seek input on structuring their selection process from Colin Baenziger, a member of an executive recruiting firm.

Baenziger contacted the county after hearing of Cool's retirement announcement. He is not being considered now for a contract, but was invited by commissioners to discuss how a consulting firm could assist.

John Minor, county human resources director, has told the commissioners an executive search firm would bring many advantages to the process of hiring a new administrator. The downside of using a search firm is the cost, he said. Minor estimated the cost would run between $30,000 to $50,000 per year.

Commissioners have briefly discussed appointing a citizens committee to help evaluate candidates but have not reached a decision.

Maxcy said commissioners hope to advertise for the administrator's job in January, begin interviewing candidates in early March and hire a person by late May or early June.

Ricky Helms, the county's assistant administrator, has announced that he will not apply for the top position and that he plans to retire in early 2010.

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