LPPT Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Mayor Doris A. Devey Derrick Battle, Mayor Pro Tem Councilmembers Prather D. Rollins Teresa Philyaw Kathy Bookout Earlene Graham The City of Hiram is pleased to release the names of the following individuals as finalists for the position of City Manager. Following interviews, which have been scheduled for Monday, August 13, Thursday, August 16 and Friday, August 17th, one of these individuals may be selected by the Mayor and Council to fill the position. Should one of these individuals be selected to become Hiram’s City Manager the appointment will be made on, or shortly after, August 24, 2012. The finalists for the position are as follows including their last two positions in local government: Karen Degges, former City Administrator of Baldwin, GA and Division Manager of Finance and Administration, Gainesville, GA Raymon Gibson, former City Manager of Stockbridge, GA and Assistant City Manager of Stockbridge, GA Richard D. Hampton, former County Manager of Jackson County, GA and County Administrator of Stevens County, GA Jack E. Miller, PhD, City Manager of Rockwood, TN and City Manager of Crossville, TN Angela D. Montgomery, former Deputy and Interim City Manager of East Point, GA and Assistant to the City Manager, Dunedin, FL Robert T. Rokovitz, City Manager of Cedartown, GA and City Manager of Holly Springs, GA Released: 8/9/2012 Link to post Share on other sites
Lady Raider Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Dang is there no one in Hiram that is qualified for this job? or paulding? all of this talk about helping paulding, and bringing business here, and Hiram can not even hire someone within the county to work... I guess helping small business in side the county is a no go huh..... 2 Link to post Share on other sites
bored Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 Dang is there no one in Hiram that is qualified for this job? or paulding? all of this talk about helping paulding, and bringing business here, and Hiram can not even hire someone within the county to work... I guess helping small business in side the county is a no go huh..... AGREED...this is pathetic. Link to post Share on other sites
kwood Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 Apparently you have to be an experienced bureaucrat. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
gpatt0n Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 Actually there are good reasons to go outside the community to hire a pr.fessional for a job like this. First, you want the job to go to a professional. To be professional you need to be studied about public administration including the myriad laws and regulations involved. Second, you don't want the job to be tainted by politics, which is at the heart of any local hire. Third, while the employment contract will protect the candidate if it doesn't work out, by definition the person doesn't have political clout and can be fired a thousand times easier if they don't work out than can a local with clout. Asking a local barber to do open heart surgery is pathetic. Hiring the best open heart surgeon you can find is smart. pubby Link to post Share on other sites
hurstrsq Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 A lot of them have "former" in their title. I'd be a little concerned as to why the are not currently in that position and why they left. If they were doing a good job seems like they would still be in the position and not looking for a job. Link to post Share on other sites
gpatt0n Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 A lot of them have "former" in their title. I'd be a little concerned as to why the are not currently in that position and why they left. If they were doing a good job seems like they would still be in the position and not looking for a job. They are not politicians. The 'city manager' career is kind of like that of the highschool football coach ... they go to school and get qualified, get their first job as a grunt and gain experience here as an assistant, get a better job there as an assistant coach, get another better job at a bigger school, get a shot at a head coach job at a smaller school, win some games and get the head job at a bigger school... They are as their job title implies; 'professional city managers.' pubby Link to post Share on other sites
hurstrsq Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 They are not politicians. The 'city manager' career is kind of like that of the highschool football coach ... they go to school and get qualified, get their first job as a grunt and gain experience here as an assistant, get a better job there as an assistant coach, get another better job at a bigger school, get a shot at a head coach job at a smaller school, win some games and get the head job at a bigger school... They are as their job title implies; 'professional city managers.' pubby Yeah, I get that. The good ones usually manage to stay employed though. And if mostly unemployed candidates are looking at Hiram, that might tell you something too. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
LPPT Posted August 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 Yeah, I get that. The good ones usually manage to stay employed though. And if mostly unemployed candidates are looking at Hiram, that might tell you something too. Actually they tend to change with elections no matter how good they are. Elected officials like to have their own people. Loyalty and all that. Link to post Share on other sites
hurstrsq Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 Actually they tend to change with elections no matter how good they are. Elected officials like to have their own people. Loyalty and all that. I guess someone forgot to tell Cobb County. They've had the same county manager since 1993. Link to post Share on other sites
LPPT Posted August 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 I guess someone forgot to tell Cobb County. They've had the same county manager since 1993. You know exactly what a cog is, nothing moves without them. Some cogs are more important than others. I really don't see the big deal, a little grease and a wrench applied you get another cog.People apply and work for the government they know from day one that their job is political and carries risk. Just like investing your life savings in a business and the cogs run you through the machine and spit you out because they can. Everything in life has risk. Nobody is irreplaceable. One saying has stuck with me all my life, put your hand in a bucket of water, take it out and see how fast the hole fills up. It means don't ever take anything for granted. Something tells me that a cog holds the grease and the wrench, somebody screwed up along the way or he is exceptional at his job. Link to post Share on other sites
hurstrsq Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 You know exactly what a cog is, nothing moves without them. Some cogs are more important than others. I really don't see the big deal, a little grease and a wrench applied you get another cog.People apply and work for the government they know from day one that their job is political and carries risk. Just like investing your life savings in a business and the cogs run you through the machine and spit you out because they can. Everything in life has risk. Nobody is irreplaceable. One saying has stuck with me all my life, put your hand in a bucket of water, take it out and see how fast the hole fills up. It means don't ever take anything for granted. Something tells me that a cog holds the grease and the wrench, somebody screwed up along the way or he is exceptional at his job. I believe if you do a little more research, you will find true performers tend to stay in their position (in that specific role). It looks like one of the candidates gets the "assistant to the regional manager" job mid 2010, then in early 2012 is interviewing for jobs half way accross the country. The candidate did not get the job, then resigns from their current position.....and now wants to work for Hiram.....and Hiram is interested...... Sounds like that person was likely not a fit for the position or was not performing. Basic applicant screening techniques would tell me this candidate might have issues and is job hopping (probably because they interview better than they perform). I don't know any of the candidates, but did a quick google search of one of the names just to see what they had been up to. Link to post Share on other sites
LPPT Posted August 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 I believe if you do a little more research, you will find true performers tend to stay in their position (in that specific role). It looks like one of the candidates gets the "assistant to the regional manager" job mid 2010, then in early 2012 is interviewing for jobs half way accross the country. The candidate did not get the job, then resigns from their current position.....and now wants to work for Hiram.....and Hiram is interested...... Sounds like that person was likely not a fit for the position or was not performing. Basic applicant screening techniques would tell me this candidate might have issues and is job hopping (probably because they interview better than they perform). I don't know any of the candidates, but did a quick google search of one of the names just to see what they had been up to. I need to clarify my remarks are not about the City of Hiram specifically, all town governments go through many of these same issues when it comes to replacing people. I have seen plenty of times also when people are ready for a different position and glad to move over. My dad worked for a small city, they would move people up to jobs that once they got there they didn't like it. Sometimes they don't have anyone qualified to move up into the position and have to hire from the outside. I don't see anything sinister in the changes in Hiram like some do. Link to post Share on other sites
Caped Crusader Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 ~~~~small hi-jack~~~~ You are up early! Good Morning!!!! :drinks: Link to post Share on other sites
LPPT Posted August 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 ~~~~small hi-jack~~~~ You are up early! Good Morning!!!! :drinks: I am always up early, well most of the time. The pups are on schedule you know Link to post Share on other sites
hurstrsq Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 You've missed the point. Nothing sinister at all. It is OK to hire from the outside; just do a better job sourcing a list of qualified applicants. This would NEVER be an applicant list for a high level position within a corporation. Their list looks more like a who's who list of city/county managers that can't hold a job. If nobody else wants them that should say something. Link to post Share on other sites
LPPT Posted August 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 You've missed the point. Nothing sinister at all. It is OK to hire from the outside; just do a better job sourcing a list of qualified applicants. This would NEVER be an applicant list for a high level position within a corporation. Their list looks more like a who's who list of city/county managers that can't hold a job. If nobody else wants them that should say something. I don't really accept that if they worked for cities or counties that changed managers with elections. Some officials clean house when they are elected. Link to post Share on other sites
hurstrsq Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 I don't really accept that if they worked for cities or counties that changed managers with elections. Some officials clean house when they are elected. I agree, that can and does happen, but I'm not convinced it is the majory occurance. You might find a good candidate that is not currently employed, but when most of your list is made up of these folks, it is a little suspect. I don't live in Hiram and really don't care who they bring on. My guess is they won't stay long though. Link to post Share on other sites
bored Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 Will they be required to move to Hiram or at least Paulding County? Link to post Share on other sites
LPPT Posted August 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 Will they be required to move to Hiram or at least Paulding County? I don't know if it is a requirement, but many people do move in these types of jobs. Link to post Share on other sites
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