The (city manager) search is on

By DAN CUMBO
Published: July 13, 2008

In response to, “What do you want in a city manager?” (July 3, page A1), I might offer a more succinct opinion if I were aware of the specific expectations, duties and responsibilities of the position as stated in the job description. However, I assume qualifications such as education, personnel management capability, budget oversight experience and negotiation skills are well defined in the official job description.

Therefore, I focus my comments here on qualifications and concerns I feel are perhaps more abstract and difficult to identify, yet nonetheless critical at this stage in Danville’s resurgence. Where appropriate, I frame qualifications/capabilities within questions I think candidates should be asked to consider.

First, we need a “system thinker” in the city manager position. That is, the person holding the position must be able to clearly identify, understand and work within the sphere of influence and impact that surrounds the position. The new city manager must have a strong grasp of cause-effect relationships and a clear understanding that cause and effect are often indirect and separated in time. In my opinion, such understanding is paramount to one’s ability to reinforce good policy and mitigate mistakes.

With that, I would be interested to know where candidates would “cast their net,” so to speak, for maximum benefit of the Danville community. As an example, retired City Manager Jerry Gwaltney demonstrated both interest and skill in the area of economic development, and his accomplishments in that area are widely recognized. For his successor, casting the net too broadly will dilute his or her effectiveness and too narrowly will result in missed opportunities and alienation of some stakeholders. Is the new city manager expected to be as intimately involved in economic development as Gwaltney? If so, there is a unique skill set associated with that expectation, one that City Council should be readily able to identify.

Next, what is the candidate’s vision for Danville and professional goals both in the near term (first one to two years on the job) and long term (five, 10 or more years into the future)? The vision should include realistic, attainable and measurable goals complimented by identified milestones and performance metrics, not the ubiquitous buzzwords too often found in vision statements. In addition, City Council should have its own list of milestones and performance metrics clearly identified before the candidate is selected for hire.

Danville’s city manager must also be an accomplished communicator across political, economic, cultural and educational divides. I believe the greatest understanding of a subject comes when teaching or explaining it to others. As such, the next city manager must be able to explain even the city’s most complex issues to all stakeholders. Moreover, there is a general need for more transparency between the city’s government and its citizens. Misunderstanding breeds mistrust and contempt among the citizenry; we can’t afford that. These particular objectives will require patience, flexibility, creativity, diligence and not a trivial amount of eloquence.

An important question I would ask: How will the new city manager seek to preserve Danville’s unique character and heritage, while helping to make it a more attractive place for others to locate? How can Danville, given its collective history, attributes and challenges become a more inclusive community for native Danvillians and new additions alike?

Danville is currently undergoing a transformative phase in terms of its economy, reputation and growth potential. The candidate must be able to continue the forward momentum already established, while not sacrificing Danville’s economic and cultural foundations. To that end, what balance would the candidate attempt to strike between economic development based on recruitment of outside corporations versus growing Danville’s flagship employment base, while also encouraging small business growth and startups in the region? What tools and experience would the candidate bring to bear on this important issue?

Those are a sample of capabilities I think our next city manager should possess and issues candidates should be asked to address. In closing, Danville needs an energetic and positive personality in the role of city manager who can spread the enthusiasm and pride for Danville that has been lacking for too long. Danville has a bright future in my opinion, but this is an important hire, perhaps one of the most important in Danville’s history. As such, the candidate should realize that it is a privilege to be entrusted with the charge of helping to lead this city into its next phase of prosperity.

• Cumbo lives in Danville.