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Highlands Today

Leadership Changing Hands In Highlands

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By MANDY SHEETS | Highlands Today

Published: February 10, 2008

SEBRING — Leadership is changing hands as the men who have run Highlands County, Sebring and Avon Park for more than 10 years step down.

C.B. Shirey, who served as Avon Park city manager for 11 years, moved to the role of manager of Avon Park Executive Airport in January.

Carl Cool, county administrator, will retire May 31 after 17 years. Bob Hoffman, city administrator of Sebring, will retire June 30 after almost 18 years in the position.

They swear they didn't plan it like that.

"It's just happenstance," Cool said. "We might have joked about it, but it just turned out that way."

The three have become friends over the years and even meet once a month to eat lunch and discuss business.

"I always hear about city and county administrators feuding over issues, and we never had any of that," Cool said. "It's been a wonderful experience working together … The attitude of the whole group has been to get along and help each other."

Hoffman and Cool started as administrators about the same time in the early 1990s and they worked with several managers in Avon Park before Shirey was hired.

"Avon Park made a great move in hiring C.B. Shirey," Hoffman said. "They had turnover in that position every three to five years, and he stabilized it because he is someone who wants to live in the community and be part of it."

As Cool and Hoffman finish their tenure, officials are preparing for their departure.

An executive search firm based in Palm Beach County will assist Highlands County commissioners in picking a new county administrator. Scott Noethlich, assistant city administrator of Sebring, has been assuming the responsibilities of the city administrator in preparation for the June transition to the position.

"There is a tremendous amount of knowledge going out with all these men," Noethlich said. "I think there is going to be a knowledge gap in the beginning, but it will be reassuring that they will remain in the community."

Hoffman, Cool and Shirey all said they plan to remain active with their respective entities, even though they no longer have management positions.

Shirey said he continues to keep in contact with city officials and is even working on some of the same projects now as he did as city manager.

Cool said he intends to continue to work in the county even after his retirement. He plans to complete all major projects before he retires.

"My goal is that no one will even know I am gone," Cool said. "I want everything to be operating so smoothly that the new administrator will think it's a cake walk."

Hoffman said he expects after a week or two people will not even realize he is gone.

"When someone who has been around for a while leaves, everyone thinks things will come to a halt," Hoffman said. "But the truth is, just like we did, they will figure everything out."

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