The executive search for Clinton’s first Town Manager and the transition to the Council-Manager form of government is currently underway and is running on schedule. The Board of Selectmen appointed a Town Manager Search Committee and promoted the opportunity nationally with assistance from executive search consultant, Strategic Government Resources (SGR), resulting in 45 applicants from 20 states and two countries. On October 3rd, the Search Committee received a briefing from SGR on the applicants which resulted in the selection of 12 Semifinalists who have been asked to respond to a written questionnaire and to participate in pre-recorded video interviews.
After the municipal election, the seven Town Council-Elect members and the Search Committee will meet on November 12th to review the Semifinalist’s material and are anticipated to select 3-5 Finalists who will be invited to participate in the onsite interview process, scheduled for December 2nd & 3rd. The candidate finalists will undergo additional vetting including a psychometric assessment, a thorough media search, and a rigorous background investigation.
The onsite interview process will include candidate tours of the community, interview sessions with both the Town’s Senior Leadership Staff and Search Committee, and a public “Meet & Greet” on December 2nd. The December 3rd meeting will include a Town employee “Meet & Greet” with the candidates, followed by interviews with the Town Council. The newly seated Town Council will be in a position to extend an employment offer to the final qualified candidate shortly following the onsite interview process.
It is recognized that the new Town Council is authorized by the Town Charter to appoint a qualified Interim Town Manager between the time they are seated and the start date of the final selected candidate. An Interim Town Manager appointment is typically undertaken in Council-Manager forms of government during an executive recruitment process, which necessary in this case due to the new Town Council being sworn into their office on November 19th. The new Town Council will not be in a position to interview candidates and select the final candidate until the onsite interview process on December 2nd & 3rd. There will be no gap in coverage of town management and the handling of day-to-day town operations between the seating of the newly elected Town Council and the start date of the selected Town Manger arising from the recruitment process.
Updates on the Town Manager search are made weekly at Board of Selectmen meetings and will be available by video on the Town of Clinton website.