FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]
By SHIRLEY SNEVE
Indian Country Today
A major renovation at an Alaska museum to attract tourist [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 26
At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]
Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
Competing in the state 3A basketball tournament in Anc [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
A bill that passed the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Gus Schumacher, the Anchorage Olympic cross-country skier, a [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
Alaska’s rural schools are on track to access faster interne [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
In the language of the Gwich’in people of northeastern Alaska, [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 25
At 7:48 a.m. a calle [ ... ]
Vietnam-Era Vets
Invited to Lunch,
Commemoration
American Legion Post 13 will host a luncheon 1-3 p.m. [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The 2024 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery got under [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly will start the annual process of determi [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Competing in the 3A state championship title basketball game Saturday, the M [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing through the afternoon Sunday, City League volleyball teams faced off [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Assembly, Recruiter Work On Hiring Goals
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly is looking for city administrator candidates who:
– have their own ideas but don’t undercut Assembly members’ ideas.
– are creative thinkers but can also take direction.
– are mindful of community values, but can think outside the box.
– are respectful and communicative with fellow top level employees, the Assembly and tribal government.
That list of desired qualifications was the result of the Assembly’s meeting on Thursday with the professional recruiter it has hired to help find a new administrator to replace Mark Gorman, who retires June 15.
The process will look somewhat similar to the last recruiting process, which was conducted without outside professional recruiting help. Like the last go-round, it will involve advertising inside and out of the state and having in-person interviews with the finalists.
But under the $20,500 contract with the executive recruitment firm Prothman of Issaquah, Wash., the city will reach additional candidates who aren’t necessarily looking for work.
Assembly members also are hoping Prothman’s experience will lead to better screening of candidates and call attention to candidates the Assembly might otherwise overlook or rule out because they’ve been fired from past jobs.
That’s not necessarily a reflection on their ability to be a good administrator for Sitka, the Assembly was told.
“Good people lose their jobs,” Prothman Senior Consultant John Hodgson said. “That’s the way it is.”
Hodgson spent more than an hour with six members of the Assembly at Centennial Hall, with a seventh, Bob Potrzuski, participating by phone. Members talked about the qualities they’re looking for, and heard about the tools Prothman brings to the table.
Hodgson said he didn’t necessarily see the financial challenges facing the city and the state as barriers to finding a good candidate since many top executives like a challenge.
“I don’t see that as a negative,” Hodgson said. “Every city administrator is going to know nothing’s perfect ... They’re going to look at that, and say, ‘Bring it on.’”
But he added a poor working relationship among Assembly members would make it harder to fill the position.
“If you guys hate each other, no one is going to want to come,” Hodgson said.
The city has used Prothman once, in the recruitment of the controller, and was pleased with the result, Human Resources Director Mark Danielson has said. Prothman is an executive recruiting company that specializes in government agencies for city managers, department heads and chief executive officers. Most of Prothman’s work is in the Northwest. The company’s eight employees are retired city managers and government workers, including Hodgson, who was city administrator for Kent, Wash., for eight years.
The Assembly voted 5-0 at its April 25 meeting to hire Prothman after the last search process ended in two final interviews and no one selected.
Hodgson spent 24 hours in Sitka in hopes of getting a general description that would help him look for Sitka’s new top executive, and was impressed with the number of activities going on in Sitka, as well as the active volunteer force making things happen. Danielson took him on a tour along Sitka’s road system, visiting city facilities and buildings, and talking to department heads, Danielson said today.
The two outstanding issues at the work session Thursday were the timeline to hire an administrator and whether to hire an interim administrator through Prothman.
A few Assembly members felt the city lost out on good candidates by taking too long in the last recruiting process, when candidates took other jobs first and dropped out. That can be a problem, Hodgson agreed.
“It seems as though when candidates are applying for jobs they’re applying for more than one,” he said. “We like to move fairly quickly.”
After Hodgson has a good idea what Sitka is looking for, he will start the search process to narrow the field to four to six finalists, under the assumption one or two will drop out.
Prothman’s timeline calls for advertising throughout June, screening in July and having someone on board by mid to late September. Aaron Bean said he would like to tighten the schedule given the unsuccessful search the last time.
“I would like to push hard to get someone in the office by the end of the summer,” he said.
Others expressed similar concerns, although Tristan Guevin said Prothman probably knows the best process.
“I would like to take the time it requires to get a good candidate,” he said. “You guys are the experts. I’m 100 percent comfortable with the schedule.”
Bean agreed it’s important to get the right candidate, although his concern is adding more responsibilities onto the department heads who have other tasks at city hall. The Assembly will consider whether to hire an interim administrator at a regular meeting.
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....