Ideas for new City Manager

[Pete]

There will be internal candidates (you can bet Eric Wenger will get strong consideration) but let's hope a wide search is conducted with the best possible selection as the result.

Seems to me there are two general categories to look at: 1) A strong #2 at a bigger city and/or one that has been managed in a successful and progressive way; and 2) A current CM at a smaller city who has shown great promise.


The OKC job is a very good one, so I hope we aim high.

Any particular names that we should be putting forth?

[shawnw]

Mick Cornett?

:-P

[GoThunder]

Jeffrey Williams is the planning and development director for Kansas City.

Here's an excerpt from the linked article:

"Williams has 25 years of experience in the fields of urban design, historic preservation and planning for local and county governments. Prior to joining Kansas City's Planning and Development Department, he served as the commissioner of planning and development for the cities of Yonkers and Mount Vernon in New York."

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansasci...-director.html

[Pete]

Maybe we should fly Russel Claus back from Australia.

Probably not enough money in the world to get him back here.

[shawnw]

If we're bringing in a Planner, we should just bring Claus back, how cool would that be?

[shawnw]

haha jinx

[catch22]

Ben Wyatt?

[LordGerald]

Maybe we should fly Russel Claus back from Australia.

Probably not enough money in the world to get him back here.

Claus will never come back until we solve the OKC Public Schools situation. Which, is, never.

[bucktalk]

Any idea as to salary package for this position?

[jonny d]

Claus will never come back until we solve the OKC Public Schools situation. Which, is, never.

If he were City Manager, he would have a say in helping it...

[Pete]

Any idea as to salary package for this position?

Couch was making just over $250K.

[HangryHippo]

There will be internal candidates (you can bet Eric Wenger will get strong consideration)

Hard pass.

[TheTravellers]

Hard pass.

Would be a disaster for progressive thinking, no, no, no, no, not Wenger.

[ABryant]

I dislike nepotism. But I vote for Blair Humphries.

[HangryHippo]

I dislike nepotism. But I vote for Blair Humphries.

Is he at all interested?

[TheSteveHunt]

I dislike nepotism. But I vote for Blair Humphries.

Not bad

[LuccaBrasi]

I have zero insights on this and I'm certainly not advocating it, but I thought there had been chatter in the past that Eric Wenger was being groomed as the successor.

[Pete]

It's my understanding that Cathy O'Connor has expressed interest in the position.

If that is the case, then we can talk about this all we want but she'll get that job.

[shawnw]

oh boy

[Pete]

If O'Connor pursues the city manager job, you have to ask: Why?

She is already paid about the same amount for running the Alliance, manages less than 20 people instead of almost 5,000, only deals with relatively sexy projects like new employers and developments, and gets to do all this outside of open meeting and records laws.


There was a lot of talk that the Alliance was specifically formed to keep her happy since Couch was seemingly entrenched forever (O'Connor was the Asst. City Manager).

Perhaps now she is expected to return that favor to those who were behind the Alliance in the first place?

[shawnw]

Makes sense, though it's not the fresh perspective we need.

[TheTravellers]

Good ol' boy network finally makes it into the 21st century by letting women in....

[Urbanized]

I have no idea if Cathy is interested. Seems mostly lateral to me, with a ton more stress associated. And - as I'm sure could be predicted by many here - I think the work she does at The Alliance is excellent and very important.

But if anyone here wants to know who she is beyond what they have read in this forum, here are a couple of profiles I found via a quick search:

http://www.ionok.com/people-talking-...-on-a-mission/

After an almost 30 year career in city government, many close to Catherine O’Connor were surprised to hear she left her post as an Assistant City Manager for the City of Oklahoma City. However, it came as no surprise that she did not steer far away from helping Oklahoma City grow.

Starting her career with the City as a student at the University of Oklahoma, O’Connor knew she wanted a career in the public sector because of her strong desire to make a difference in people’s lives. Over the next 30 years, O’Connor held a variety of positions for the City including Finance Director, Budget Director and Business Manager for the Oklahoma City Fire Department, before becoming an Assistant City Manger in 2001.

“I was extremely fortunate to have begun my career while still an undergraduate,” O’Connor said. “Being able to work for the City while finishing my degree gave me the experience I needed to get on the career path that brought me to where I am today.”

In 2011, O’Connor left the City to head a newly formed organization, the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City. As President of the Alliance, O’Connor also oversees six public entities, including the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority, to ensure public assistance for organizations looking to invest in Oklahoma City.

“The cooperative structure of the Alliance allows companies and developers the ability to meet with a single point of contact when getting help within the public sector,” O’Connor said. “We offer a one-stop-shop for those wanting to invest in our city.”

Throughout her career with the City of Oklahoma City, O’Connor was involved with many aspects of the continuing redevelopment and transformation of Oklahoma City.

“Bass Pro Shops was the first economic development project I worked extensively on,” O’Connor said. “It has been truly amazing to see the development of Oklahoma City over the past few years. The transformation of the downtown area is incredible to see, and I’m just thankful to be a part of it.”

As well as helping bring Bass Pro Shops to Oklahoma City, O’Connor also worked on other projects during her tenture with the City, such as securing the Dell campus in southwest Oklahoma City and assisting in the revitalization of the Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

“It was a hectic time, as the Dell and Skirvin developments overlapped during part of both projects,” O’Connor said. “However, it felt good to see them both completed, especially since they both have such a large presence now in Oklahoma City.”

Originally, Dell wanted to bring only 150 jobs to Oklahoma City and buy an old Walmart as office space. After talks with the city, Dell decided to build the current campus, which now holds around 2100 employees. The campus sits on what used to be a city landfill.

“There were definitely difficulties throughout construction, since the site was previously a landfill,” O’Connor said. “But those challenges were of course taken care of, and now the property is thriving. Being able to increase the amount of jobs Dell brought here was a huge accomplishment for the city.”

More recently, O’Connor has had the opportunity to work on economic development projects, such as the Devon tower.

“When talking about projects I’ve worked on, I have to mention the Devon tower,” O’Connor said. “It has changed the perception of downtown greater than any other economic development project to date. The tower stands over the entire city.”

With construction beginning in late 2009, the Devon tower is in the final stages of construction, with some employees having already made the move to the new office space.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen Oklahoma City’s renaissance firsthand,” O’Connor said. “Oklahoma City has gone through an amazing transformation, and I look forward to continuing my involvement in this ever-changing city through my work with the Alliance.”/

https://okcrotary.club/vision-for-th...cathy-oconnor/

Ms. Cathy O’Connor is the President of the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City, a non-profit corporation designed to coordinate public participation in economic development projects. In her role as President of the Alliance, Cathy has been instrumental in furthering development throughout Oklahoma City and promoting job creation. She was the point person on the team that worked to locate both the GE Global Energy Research Facility, and the Boeing Aircraft Modernization and Sustainment division in Oklahoma City. She also led the efforts to create the NE Renaissance Urban Renewal Area and Tax Increment Finance district, the Core to Shore Tax Increment Finance District and to develop a Convention Center Hotel to complement the new MAPS 3 Convention Center.

Prior to becoming President of the Alliance, Ms. O’Connor served as an Assistant City Manager with Oklahoma City where she enjoyed an almost 30 year career. Catherine was appointed Assistant City Manager in May 2001 worked to develop the incentives to bring Bass Pro Shops, QuadGraphics and Dell Computers to the Oklahoma City area. She led the City’s team to structure the terms for the redevelopment of the historic Skirvin Hotel. In her role with the Alliance she continues to have responsibility for management of the City’s Tax Increment Financing program; the $75 million Strategic Investment Program, a local economic development incentive fund; and management of the City’s Urban Renewal Authority and economic development trust.

Ms. O’Connor is active in a variety of community organizations and currently serves on the board of directors of the United Way of Central Oklahoma, Commercial Real Estate Women of Oklahoma City, the Beacon Club, Historic Preservation Inc. and the Committee of One Hundred. Ms. O’Connor is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City and Leadership Oklahoma. Cathy was named the Journal Record’s Oklahoma Woman of the Year in 2009 and has also received the Stanley Draper Award for Community Excellence from Downtown Oklahoma City, Inc. and a Byliner Award for Economic Development from the Association of Women in Communications. She is a member of the Economic Club, the Downtown Rotary Club, the International Economic Development Council, the Urban Land Institute and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

[jonny d]

Good ol' boy network finally makes it into the 21st century by letting women in....

Moving for the sake of motion?

[Midtowner]

Moving for the sake of motion?

O'Connor would probably be the best hire. We can bring in outside perspective in hiring subsidiary positions. We'd be smart to have someone who already knows who the players are, how things work, and where the bodies are buried.