Deadline nears to apply for manager search group

By Robert Mihalek

Yellow Springers interested in helping Village Council select a new Village manager have until Friday, July 15, to apply for positions on a community search committee.

To apply, send a letter of interest to the clerk of Council, Deborah Benning, at 100 Dayton Street or dbenning@yso.com.

Council members said that they would select the members of the search committee at their next meeting, on Monday, July 18.

Last week, Council agreed to form a committee to lead the search for a new manager to replace Rob Hillard, who is stepping down as the Village manager on Sept. 1. The committee will consist of two Council members, two Yellow Springs residents, two Village employees and two human resource professionals from either the local business community or the community at large.

The committee will be responsible for all stages of the search process, except making the final decision on a candidate, which is Council’s responsibility. The citizens committee will begin the search process by convening focus groups to gather information needed to “clarify the values and assess the needs necessary for the selection of a new Village Manager”; recommend a candidate profile and job description; and screen the job applicants and select the top five candidates for Council’s consideration.

During their meeting on July 5, Council members said they wanted to complete the search process in three months, one month after Hillard officially steps down.

At the end of June, Hillard handed in his resignation as Village manager after he accepted a job in Allegan, Mich., where he worked before joining the Village in 2000. In Allegan, Hillard will serve as the manager-clerk of that city, a position he held from 1995 to 2000.

According to an article in the Kalamazoo Gazette, the Allegan city manager’s job opened up after Lisa Sutterfield, who worked as the assistant city manager under Hillard, resigned effective April 29.

Hillard, who replaced David Heckler as Village manager, said he is leaving to be closer to his family, many of whom live in Michigan.