TRAVERSE CITY -- City commissioners wrapped up their first round of interviews for city manager and came out with three candidates they want to get to know better.
Two candidates met with city leaders on Wednesday; three were interviewed on Tuesday. They plan to invite back Tom Menzel, R. Ben Bifoss and Bob Schaumleffel Jr., for second interviews.
"This is arguably the biggest decision that the city commission will make," Commissioner Chris Bzdok said. "It's too big of a decision to decide on a snap judgment after an hour interview."
It's been 17 years since city officials chose a new city manager. That's when they hired Richard Lewis, who left last month to work for international engineering firm CH2M HILL in Atlanta.
City commissioners on Wednesday interviewed:
-- Bob Schaumleffel Jr., 60, former city manager of Creedmoor, N.C.
Schaumleffel held various management positions in Bullhead City, Ariz.; Dublin, Ohio; New Albany, Ohio; Powell, Ohio; Hartland, Wis.; Thermopolis, Wyo. and Muskingum County, Ohio.
He said he leads by example and values his personal ethics and credibility.
Schaumleffel said he looks at every aspect of government operation for ways to provide the same level of service for less money.
"Because of the financial reality, everything is on the table; there is nothing sacred anymore," he said. "If there's another way to accomplish the same thing, that's what you have to do."
-- Tom Menzel, 64, director of the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City.
Menzel is a former treasurer and mayor of Rolling Meadows, Ill. He also worked for companies McGraw Hill, Xerox, Allstate and Leelanau Industries.
He spent the past three years as Cherry Festival director, but did not seek to extend his contract.
He wants to create an economic development strategy to promote Traverse City and retain businesses. The city should take a leadership role in this, rather than turning responsibilities over to the Downtown Development Authority and Traverse City Chamber of Commerce.
"I am a change agent, and if you want the status quo, then you don't want me," he said. "If you want to look at things in a different way, how we can build on the foundation we have ... then I think I can get it done and I think I can do it really well."
Bifoss, who interviewed Tuesday, is a project manager for Abonmarche Consultants in Manistee.
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