The Santa Rosa Island Authority Board narrowed down their search for a new Executive Director at a special meeting, May 1. The SRIA Administrative Committee identified a list of 14 candidates as semi-finalists at their April 16 meeting. Of those, 11 were still actively seeking the position as of May 1.
The current SRIA Executive Director Leigh Davis will continue to serve until the new hire is in place. Her contract was extended through June 28 to cover the onboarding process.
The five finalists are Brian Underwood, William Whitson, Mike Burns, Ted Yates and Clete Saunier.
Brian Underwood is currently the Baldwin County Commission’s Grants Director in Fairhope, Alabama. His education includes a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science.
William Whitson is the City Manager in Flagler Beach, Florida. His educational background includes a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.
Mike Burns is a Pensacola attorney, with his own firm. He served as special assistant and attorney for former Florida Governor Charlie Crist. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Juris Doctorate.
Ted Yates has served as the Village Manager of Islamorada, Florida. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate.
Clete Saunier is the Public Works Director in Santa Paula, California. He has Bachelor’s Degrees in Civil Engineering and Geology.
The search is being led by Strategic Government Resources’ President Doug Thomas, who outlined the next steps in the search. Thomas told the Board that each candidate’s background would be scrutinized, verifying educational degrees, references and anything that might require additional explanation like being involved in a lawsuit. Candidates will have additional interview questions to answer along with an essay outlining their first year game plan. Thomas will make arrangements to bring candidates to Pensacola Beach on May 21-22. Candidates will be taken on a familiarization tour, interview one-on-one with the SRIA board members and have a session with SRIA senior staff on May 21.
Each candidate will give a ten minute presentation on the same topic as their essay, the first year game plan, at the SRIA Full Board meeting on May 22. This meeting is open to the public.
The SRIA Board will discuss and rank the five candidates. Thomas said in addition to the numeric rank there may be nuances that will have to be discussed before identifying the top choice for the Executive Director’s position.
“The goal is to come to a common consensus,” said Thomas. “We have never failed to land the plane at the end of the day, successfully. So just trust us that we will help you work your way through that.”
The Santa Rosa Island Authority Full Board meeting will begin at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 22 at #1 Via de Luna. The meetings are open to the public for in person or remote attendance. Dial in at 1-301-715-8592. The meeting ID is 425 234 4682 and password is 2257. Agendas are available at www.sria-fla.com .