Palm Coast City Council Narrows City Manager Field, But Asks for More Choices

The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday received a presentation on its current field of city manager applicants during its regularly scheduled workshop meeting. They were taken through the applicants by Doug Thomas, the Executive VP of Recruiting and Leadership for Strategic Government Resources, the firm helping the City Council choose its next permanent city manager. Their ultimate consensus was to have the firm re-open the position to hopefully accrue more applicants and strengthen the field of choices.

The search was kicked off by the surprise firing of Denise Bevan in March 2024 at the urging of then-Mayor David Alfin. He brought up the issue unexpectedly and managed to earn the support of Cathy Heighter and Ed Danko. None of these three members are still on the City Council. The seat is currently held in the interim by Lauren Johnston, who was Assistant City Manager under Bevan. Johnston has held she has no interest in being given the permanent job. Both she and Bevan were promoted internally after rising through the ranks of city staff.

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The candidates reviewed by Thomas on Tuesday were among a field of 35 active applicants for the permanent city manager job. 38 applied initially, with three withdrawing their names from consideration. He split the field into two groups: traditional and non-traditional applicants, not necessarily using the latter classification as a put-down. 22 applicants were considered traditional, with three being listed as non-traditional.

Doug Thomas presents before the City Council. ⓒ AskFlagler

The Council members were asked afterward to identify any applicants which at least warranted more examination. It was not a formal vote to narrow the field to semifinalists, and so repeat-mentions did not indicate momentum. The Council members added the following members to the discussion, with some refraining from mentioning a candidate who’d already been mentioned.

• Charles Gambero: Paul Trombino III, Cesar Garcia, Danny Coviello, Denise Fitzgerald, Jay Wilverding, Richard Hough
• Ray Stevens: David Strahl, Michael Reese, Jim Manfre
• Ty Miller: Brad Gotshall, Redmond Jones II, Drew Willison
• Theresa Carli Pontieri: Paul Trombino III, Robert Hemminger, Darren Coldwell, Kara Boyles
• Mike Norris: Richard Hough, Kara Boyles, Scott Moye, David Strahl, Michael Reese

Of this field, only Danny Coviello, emphasized by Councilman Gambaro, was not considered to have been worthy of mentioning by Doug Thomas in his presentation. Coviello’s current job is as CEO of Goliath Engineering Technology. After naming their picks, the Council members were asked to assign a point value to each applicant to rank their collective interest.

Six candidates were named as tentative people of interest: Paul Trombino II, Kara Boyles, Richard Hough, Jay Wilverding, Michael Reese, and Robert Hemminger. The total list of candidates spoken about by Thomas on Tuesday were as follows, with their most relevant experience listed.

‘Traditional Applicants’

• Brad Gotshall
  • Township Manager – Lower Paxton, PA (pop. 53k) (2018-present)
• Brian Bulthuis
  • City Manager – Clermont, FL (pop. 47k) (2021-2024)
• Brian Geoghegan
  • City Manager – Howell, NJ (pop. 54k) (2017-2022)
• Cesar Garcia
  • City Manager – La Marque, TX (pop. 20k) (2022-present)
• Chris Edwards
  • Director of Economic Development/Community Redevelopment Agency – New Smyrna Beach, FL (pop. 32k) (2020-2024)
• Cindy Raleigh
  • City Manager – Palacios, TX (pop. 4k) (2022-present)
• Darren Coldwell
  • City Manager – Page, AZ (pop. 7k) (2019-present)
  • County Administrator – Lincoln County, MT (pop. 21k) (2017-2019)
• David Strahl
  • Deputy County Manager – Jefferson County, AL (pop. 665k) (2022-2023)
  • Interim Village Manager – Schiller Park, IL (pop. 11k) (2019-2021)
  • City Administrator – O’Fallon, MO (pop. 94k) (2017-2018)
• Denise Fitzgerald
  • Township Manager – Scott, PA (pop. 17k) (2001-present)
• Rick Keuroglian III
  • Town Administrator – Georgetown, CO (pop. 1k) (2022-2024)
• Jay Wilverding
  • County Administrator – San Joaquin County, CA (pop. 793k) (2021-2024)
• Kara Boyles
  • City Engineer – South Bend, IN (pop. 103k) (2017-present)
• Melissa Davis
  • Deputy Commissioner of Fleet Services, Sr. Director of Administration & Finance, Sr. Financial Manager, Sr. Performance Auditor – Atlanta, GA (pop. 500k) (2012-present)
• Michael Reese
  • City Manager – Maplewood, MO (pop. 8k) (2021-2023)
• Patrick Comiskey
  • City Manager – Mount Dora, FL (pop. 17k) (2021-2024)
  • City Manager – Cambridge, MD (pop. 13k) (2018-2021)
  • City Manager – Thomaston, GA (pop. 10k) (2002-2016)
  • City Manager – Wellsburg, WV (pop. 2k) (1998-2002)
• Patrick Jordan
  • County Administrator – Ionia County, MI (pop. 67k) (2022-present)
  • City Manager – Escanaba, MI (pop. 12k) (2017-2022)
  • County Administrator – Wexford County, MI (pop. 33k) (2015-2017)
• Paul Trombino III
  • Public Works Director – Greeley, CO (pop. 109k) (2021-present)
• Redmond Jones II
  • Deputy City Manager – Iowa City, IA (pop. 75k) (2021-2024)
  • City Administrator – West Branch, IA (pop. 3k) (2017-2021)
• Richard Hough
  • Public Works Director – Walworth County, WI (pop. 105k)
• Robert Hemminger
  • City Manager – Iowa Colony, TX (pop. 15k) (2021-present)
• Scott Moye
  • County Manager – Ware County, GA (pop. 37k) (2016-2024)
• Bill Lawrence
  • Town Manager – Lady Lake, FL (Pop. 17k) (2021-present)
  • City Manager – Bowling Green, FL (pop. 2k) (2019-2021)
  • Town Manager – Warren, ME (pop. 5k) (2016-2019)
  • Town Manager – Howland, ME (pop. 1k) (2015-2016)
  • Town Manager – White Springs, FL (pop. >1k) (2014-2015)
  • Police Chief/Town Manager – Lincoln, ME (pop. 5k) (2011-2014)

‘Non-Traditional Applicants’

• Drew Willison
  • Chief of Staff –  Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (2015-2016)
• Jim Manfre
  • Sheriff – Flagler County, FL (pop. 127k) (2001-2005, 2013-2017)
• Dave Smolenski
  • Police Department Administrative Services Commander – Venice, FL (pop. 27k) (2018-present)