A search firm hired to find a replacement for Grand Traverse County Administrator Tom Menzel (pictured) met with county commissioners this week to outline the search process - and is soliciting public feedback on qualities the community hopes to see in the next administrator.

Vice President Jaymes Vettraino of GovHR USA met with commissioners as a group Thursday and individually Friday to get their feedback on qualities they are looking for in a candidate to replace Menzel, who is retiring at the end of 2017. Vettraino described a 12-week search process to find the next county administrator, with the new hire potentially named in late July or early August. GovHR USA will use commission and public feedback to create a recruitment brochure that will go out to potential candidates in trade publications, websites, the GovHR database and social media sites like LinkedIn. Interested members of the public who want to share their feedback on desired qualities in the next administrator can fill out a brief online survey through mid-next week, which Vettraino said he will compile and use in crafting the recruitment brochure.

Vettraino described a detailed interview and hiring process from there that includes his personal review of all candidate applications, reference checks, Internet and social media background searches, and personal Skype interviews in order to winnow the inital wide field of candidates into a more select group for commissioners to review. "I understand my responsibility, that when I am in this process, I am representing Grand Traverse County," Vettraino told commissioners. "We will treat our candidates in a way that reflects positively on you at every stage of the way."

Vettraino said he would present commissioners with detailed binders of information on potential candidates in order for the commission to identify a short list - potentially 5 or more candidates - for first-round interviews. He then recommended a second round of interviews with two to three finalists. Once ready to hire a candidate, GovHR USA can "assist, as requested, with the drafting of an appropriate employment offer" and will provide notification to all candidates of the final hiring decision, Vettraino said. He noted that GovHR USA offers a two-year guarantee, so that if "the administrator leaves for any reason, theirs or yours, we will do the search again at no cost, other than travel and expenses for the county." He said the firm has only had to utilize the guarantee "for less than one percent of our searches. We believe that our process should make a quality match for both the candidate and the community."

Commissioner Sonny Wheelock expressed satisfaction with the search process, noting the county's last two administrators have both served short terms and that he hoped GovHR USA could help find a longer-term fit. "The reason that I pushed so hard to hire a search firm was to try to get a fit (so) that we didn’t have that turnover," Wheelock said. "We need some stability...county government just by the nature of itself and having commissioners elected to two-year terms has enough volatility all by itself."

While Vettraino declined to provide an exact estimate of how many candidates he expected to respond to the opening, he expressed optimism the position would attract significant interest. "Grand Traverse and Traverse City generally as a brand is a good brand in Michigan and beyond," he said. "So I think we’re going to get people to click open the brochure, which is the first step, and I’m excited for this search because of that. I think we’re going to be pleased with the number of candidates that we receive. I think you’re starting at an advantage, because you have a good outside brand awareness."