Local News
Assistant administrator applicant list pared to 18
Gary Pinnell | Highlands Today
Published: January 17, 2013
SEBRING - Although County Administrator June Fisher will officially decide who gets the job, a smaller list of assistant county administrator applicants was released Tuesday with 18 names highlighted.Published: January 17, 2013
"The applicants highlighted in yellow meet the minimum qualifications," said Melissa Bruns, Highlands County human resources manager.
The three candidates not highlighted were Ridge Area ARC Director of Programs and Services Candice Ciesla of Avon Park, Road and Bridge Supervisor Kyle Green and Parks and Natural Resources Director Vicki Pontius.
Pontius has an associate degree in business; Green's name is checked in the "AA/AS" box; Ciesla did not list a degree.
They were first three eliminated from a 21-name list prepared last week. Among the minimum qualifications listed was, "Graduation from a four-year college or university with a degree in a business or management-related field … "
Another qualification was "eight years of progressively responsible senior-level management experience, preferable in a municipal or county government setting."
In a matrix provided by Bruns, Green and Pontius did fit that qualification, Ciesla did not.
Seven other names did not get check marks under the experience category: special projects coordinator Christopher Benson, livestock agent Randy Gornto, emergency operations center secretary Jerri Kaplan of Sebring, Torrey Pines Institute human resources manager Diane Papa of Palm City, and Highlands Independent Bank vice president and comptroller Shannon Sapp of Sebring.
However, in the same matrix, Bruns did not inform Fisher that the eight applicants without eight years of supervisory experience hadn't met the minimum qualifications.
Fisher said she does not have a schedule to determine when a candidate will be hired, but other candidates will be eliminated before an interview panel meets with the finalists.
Other names still on the list include two former county commissioners: Guy Maxcy, who is the current DeSoto County administrator; and current Facilities Director David Flowers. The list also includes County Engineer Ramon Gavarrete and former Human Resources Director John Minor.
Two have held top jobs: Douglas Hewett was the city manager at Hollywood, Fla; Anthony Carson, of Ocean View, Del. was the town administrator for Berlin.
One is from out of state: Suzanne Davis of Leesburg, Ga. works for the City of Albany.
The rest are from Florida: Bill Veach, Tallahassee, director of the State of Florida's Division of Hotels & Restaurants; Sarah Hannah, Plantation, laid off as the financial director for the City of Sunrise; Randal Vosburg of Lakeland, director of professional compliance at Polk County Sheriff's Office; Tory Bombard, business operations manager for the City of Lakeland; and Julio Granada, library affairs manager for the Miami-Dade Public Library System.
A master's degree is preferred. Twelve of the applicants list a master's, although Hewett's is in criminal justice. Davis is working on a doctorate in public administration.
One reason for the high interest is the salary: $39.27 to $64.01 per hour, which calculates to $81,681 to $133,140 per year.
gpinnell@highlandstoday.com (863) 386-5828