Indian River County narrows list to 10 semifinalists for county administrator position

Thomas Weber, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·2 min read
Indian River County Administration Complex

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The county has its list of 10 semifinalists for county administrator, and it includes three Treasure Coast officials.

County Commissioners Monday received the narrowed-down list of candidates, reduced from the 58 applications, according to the firm hired to conduct the national search. The position is open after Jason Brown stepped down from the role Dec. 31 for a job with the Clerk of Court.

The list was trimmed to 10 based on candidate experience, according to search firm Colin Baenziger & Associates.

Who applied?: Indian River County administrator job attracts more than 50 applicants, some Treasure Coast officials

Opinion: Here are the candidates who should be considered for Indian River County administrator

More: Why are the region's top policy shapers leaving their jobs?

Who are the 10 candidates?

These are the semifinalists and their most recent positions, according to the search firm:

  • Dale "Doc" Dougherty: City Manager of Garden City, Michigan, since 2018. Dougherty was a finalist in the St. Lucie County administrator search

  • Brad Gotshall: Township Manager of Lower Paxton, Pennsylvania, since 2018

  • Don King: U.S. Army colonel and chief of staff, Special Operations Command, Europe, from 2020-2022

  • Phil Matson: Indian River County community development director since 2020

  • Pat Oman: County administrator of Becker County, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, since 2021

  • Don Rosenthal: Pasco County commercial/redevelopment project liaison from 2020-2021; retired in 2022

  • Michael Silverman: City manager of Pascagoula, Mississippi, since 2019

  • Richard Szpyrka: Indian River County public works director since 2016

  • John Titkanich: St. Lucie County innovation and performance division director since 2020

  • Jeff Wilkins: Director of administration and treasurer, Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, Grove City, Ohio, from 2017-2022

Who fell short of making the list?

Two former Treasure Coast officials missed the cut: St. Lucie County Deputy County Administrator Alphonso Jefferson, who resigned Feb. 1, and former Indiantown Village Manager Howard Brown, who resigned Dec. 8. It's unclear why Jefferson and Brown resigned.

Indian River commissioners still could consider candidates who were left off the list.

What happens next?

The County Commission is to review and assess the candidates at its Feb. 21 meeting, then narrow the list by about half. The final five to seven finalists are to tour the county and attend a public reception March 2.

Commissioners will interview finalists one-on-one March 3, followed by public interviews before the full commission. The commission could pick a new administrator the same day or wait until its March 7 meeting.

Thomas Weber is TCPalm's Indian River County government watchdog reporter. You can reach him at thomas.weber@tcpalm.com or 813-545-9113. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Indian River County administrator candidates narrowed down 10