After one candidate dropped out Dec. 11, there are still leaders in Coronado, CA; Stayton, OR; and Abilene, TX who are trying for the job of Bainbridge Island city manager.
The City Council chose the finalists who will participate in a series of virtual interviews with city staff, community partners and advisory group representatives the week of Dec. 14.
The finalists, selected from 66 applications, listed in alphabetical order are:
*Keith Campbell, city manager in Stayton, has served in that role since 2014. He has 14 years of local government experience. He previously served as the city clerk for Shawnee, KS and the deputy county clerk, alson in Kansas. Campbell holds a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in psychology from the University of Kansas.
*Blair King, city manager of Coronado, and has served in that role since 2010. He has 36 years of local government experience, which includes 25 years as a city manager at cities throughout California. Blair also holds a masters in Public Administration and bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fresno.
*Anthony Williams, mayor of Abilene, was elected to the position in 2017. He is the Advancement & Executive community relations officer at Abilene Christian University, where he has worked for 23 years in various positions that include chief Business Services officer; director of Retail Operations from and Bookstore manager. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education from McMurry University.
“The city manager search has been a robust process with significant input from the candidates and review from the council,” BI Mayor Leslie Schneider said. “I’ve been impressed by the qualifications of those who have expressed interest in working here, and look forward to the selection of a new City Manager early next year.”
The community will get an opportunity to hear from the finalists during a live, online open house from 6-7:30 p.m. Jan. 7.
Community members may submit questions in advance by sending an email to citymanagersearch@bainbridgewa.gov by 10 a.m. Jan. 4.
The candidate selected will replace City Manager Morgan Smith, whose contract expired in December 2020. The council selected Ellen Schroer to serve in the interim. Schroer joined the city 10 years ago as the director of Finance and Administrative Services. She was promoted to deputy city manager in 2018.
The city manager reports to and is appointed by the City Council, as the city operates under a Council-Manager form of government. The city manager provides policy advice, directs the daily operations of city government, handles personnel functions and is responsible for preparing the city budget.
The City Council hired Strategic Government Resources to lead the nationwide search. SGR specializes in public sector executive recruitment.
Anthony Williams
