Fort Meade narrows 22 applicants to two finalists for city manager position
Fort Meade has narrowed its list of candidates for city manager down to two finalists: Patrick Marsh of Port Charlotte and Pat Oman of Minnesota.
The previous city manager, Jan Bagnall, resigned in August after 2½ years in the position. Fort Meade received 22 applications.
At the City Commission meeting on Sept. 12, the commissioners decided that each would select at least five candidates to recommend for advancing to the interview stage of the process. The commissioners individually submitted their lists to either the human resources director or deputy city clerk.
That process winnowed the list of candidates to eight. City officials sent pre-interview questionnaires to the applicants, and only five of them returned completed forms, Interim City Manager Maria Sutherland said.
At the Oct. 10 meeting, the City Commission directed Human Resources Director Cherie Kercher to schedule video interviews with the five candidates. One applicant withdrew before interviews were scheduled.
Commissioners held interviews in late October with the four remaining candidates: Vincent Akhimie of Lakeland and Cheryl Lashann Brown of Jacksonville, as well as Marsh and Oman.
Marsh most recently served for one year as city manager in Fernley, Nevada, according to his application packet. He also listed experience in city government for Fitchburg, Wisconsin; Monona, Wisconsin; Coal Valley, Illinois; and Eldridge, Iowa.
Marsh holds a master’s degree in public administration from Northern Illinois University, according to his resume.
Oman has served as county administrator for Becker County in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, since 2021. He worked for six years as a county administrator in Milaca, Minnesota, and for two years as a city administrator in Moose Lake, Minnesota, according to his submitted resume.
Oman holds a master’s degree in business administration from University of St. Thomas-St. Paul in Minnesota and bachelor’s degrees in biology and art history from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, his resume indicates.
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Background checks on the two finalists are not likely to be completed before the next City Commission meeting on Nov. 14, Sutherland said. That means the commission probably wouldn’t hold a vote to choose a city manager until December or January, she said.
The City Commission has been proceeding with the selection process amid an election campaign.
In Tuesday's election, Jaret Landon Williams, 37, unseated 25-year incumbent Commissioner Bob Elliott, 606 to 520 votes. But there wasn't a clear winner in the three-way race to fill the vacancy created when Barbara Arnold resigned. Samuel Berrien received approximately 42% of the votes, followed by Donnie True with 30%. Candice Filyaw Lott garnered 27%.
Berrien and True will compete in a runoff election Nov. 21 at the Fort Meade Community Center, 10 3rd St. SW.
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Fort Meade narrows 22 applicants to two finalists for city manager
