Winter Haven promotes Michael Stavres as city manager

The Winter Haven City Commission did not wait long or look far to find the next city manager.

Commissioners voted unanimously at Monday’s meeting to offer the position to T. Michael Stavres, a longtime city employee who has served as its second-ranking leader since 2016.

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Stavres, 52, will succeed Mike Herr, who recently announced that he is leaving Winter Haven after more than five years to become city manager in Bartow. Herr’s final day with Winter Haven is Dec. 12.

Stavres is a 1988 graduate of Winter Haven High School and first joined the city’s staff as a lifeguard at age 15. He has worked for Winter Haven continuously since 2001, serving as Leisure Services Director, Director of Community Services, Assistant City Manager and Deputy City Manager.

“It’s very exciting,” Stavres said Tuesday in a phone interview. “It's so nice to see that vote of confidence in the form of a unanimous vote and certainly the kind words that they all offered (Monday) evening. That speaks to their confidence in me. And I think that that's based upon the fact that I've had the honor of working with these five as a team since they all became seated. But I've known them for as long as I've been in Winter Haven.”

Stavres’ compensation has not yet been determined. Herr receives an annual salary of $201,635.

“To me, you want a city manager who has the heart and soul of the community in their heart,” City Commissioner Brian Yates said, according to a news release from the city. “I truly feel that we have that in our Deputy City Manager, T. Michael Stavres. I think if he’d be willing to accept the role, he’d be the best person to fill those shoes.”

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Mayor Brad Dantzler said he expects an easy transition period.

“Over the past five years, Mr. Herr has built a strong team and set up Winter Haven to continue moving forward successfully,” Dantzler said in the release. “The organization is strong, and we are confident it will move through this upcoming transition successfully. The team is firing on all cylinders and will continue to do so. “

Michael Stavres journey from Pennsylvania to Winter Haven

Stavres moved from Pennsylvania with his family to Winter Haven when he was 8 years old. He began working as a lifeguard at city pools in high school and continued in that role during two years at Polk Community College (now Polk State College).

Stavres received a bachelor’s degree in leisure services and studies from Florida State University in 1992 and added a master’s in recreation and leisure services administration, also from FSU, five years later.

Before his hiring in Winter Haven, Stavres worked for the cities of Temple Terrace, Lakeland and St. Petersburg and for Orange County. In Lakeland, he served as a recreation supervisor, overseeing the Kelly and Simpson Park recreation complexes.

Stavres joined Winter Haven in 2001 and served as Leisure Services Director and Director of Community Services before becoming Assistant City Manager in 2016. His title was changed last year to Deputy City Manager.

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Stavres said he doesn’t expect to pursue any significant changes in emphasis or direction from Herr’s leadership.

“Certainly, the challenges with growth (will continue), whether that's from water supply challenges to transportation to just being able to accommodate the growing population and serve them in the level that they have come to know and expect,” he said. “Internally for us, I think, we're in the process of recruiting for a new chief financial officer. So that is certainly the first big rock to be lifted and moved about here.”

Stavres said he will also seek to maintain the city’s momentum in completing outstanding capital projects.

Commissioner J.P. Powell expressed confidence in Stavres.

“I have all the faith and trust in T. Michael, and I’m a firm believer of promoting from within,” Powell said in the news release. “I don’t think we need to look any further.”

Stavres has served on boards for such entities as Cypress Junction Montessori Charter School, All Saints Academy, Public Education Partnership of Winter Haven, Girls, Inc. of Winter Haven, Humane Society of Polk County and the Polk State College Alumni Association.

He is a graduate of Leadership Winter Haven and Leadership Polk and has been recognized as a distinguished alumnus by Winter Haven High School and Polk State College.

Stavres and his wife, Charlotte (Charlie) Stavres, have one daughter, Delanie, who is 11.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Winter Haven Commission votes to promote Michael Stavres as next city manager