Round two in the search for a new Coral Gables City Manager has produced 
a few interesting names that seem head and shoulders above the candidates on the last shortlist — which ended in a fiasco when the commission picked a guy who later did not pass a general background check.
Among them: Former Miami-Dade Manager George Burgess, former Beacon Council CEO and President Frank Nero — who was forced to resign after 17 years in 2013 after he came out publicly against gaming before his board had a chance to weigh in — and Hollywood City Manager Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark, who was the Gables economic development director for many years before going to work in Broward.
As if that weren’t heady enough, there were two other big names on there just a couple of days ago, but Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Director Bill Johnson allegedly withdrew because the salary was not high enough and former Miami-Dade Deputy Mayor Chip Iglesias, who left the county for a lobbying job, is said to have dropped out when it was leaked he was a finalist and his boss found out (wasn’t me).
“No, of course I’m not interested,” he might have said. But a good source inside City Hall told Ladra that he was among the five original names that were brought to commissioners by recruiter Bud Park. We know from having talked to Iglesias himself during the first round that he had originally eyed the position before he was snatched up by the lobbying firm that was hired by David Beckham to bring a soccer stadium to the county.
Read related story: Back to the drawing board for Coral Gables’ manager search
Either way, whether it’s three or five finalists, they all seem to be of a higher caliber than the last litter commissioners had to pick from in the first round of would-be replacements for former City Manager Pat Salerno, who resigned abruptly in April just before he was to be questioned publicly about lies he told a commissioner who asked about traffic accident information.
Ladra called some of these new candidates. They did not call me back. Park, the recruiter, would not talk about the selection process at all or even confirm that any meetings had taken place. He demanded to know, first, who told me about the interviews and the shortlist and repeated asked me to disclose my sources. I told him that’s not gonna happen. Suffice it to say that the two little birdies are City Hall insiders in a position to know. A third birdie was able to confirm some of the names, but not all of them.
Only Vice Mayor Bill Kerdyk has met with the candidates so far. His meetings were scheduled earlier because he was going out of town. The mayor and other commissioners will be meeting with the candidates in the next couple of days.
There are no public records to confirm this new shortlist. And that is intentional. We’ve gone 180-degrees from a way too protracted and public process — where candidates took a trolley tour and did what amounts to a speed dating session with department heads before being wined and dined at a Biltmore Hotel reception — to a way to secret, cloak and dagger system of choosing the next top administrator for the City Beautiful.
Read related story: Coral Gables city manager search circus act enters Part II
Sure, the last attempt at this crashed and burned in a ball of public shame fire. But some commissioners and political observers believe that the really good candidates stayed away during the first round because of the public gauntlet they had to walk. Especially those who are already employed and whose bosses may not like them shopping around for a better offer.
Still, Ladra can’t help but think that any candidate who can’t be publicly and openly — and transparently — interested in a job like this, overseeing 800 employees and a should not apply. That was part of the problem with the most recent past Coral Gables administration — a lack of transparency.
All of these people on this shortlist are fully capable of running the city of Coral Gables. A couple of them could probably do it in their sleep. So there’s really only one thing commissioners really need to look for:
Who among these people has the, er, rhymes with wherewithals, to clean house and get rid of the Salerno stench still clinging around City Hall?
George Burgess, Frank Nero on shortlist for Gables manager added by Ladra on
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Jeff Loria loves ole George Burgess. Loves him big time.
[…] Read related story: George Burges, Frank Nero on shortlist for Gables manager […]
Ladra:
Why don’t you reveal your sources. Every time I mention Elsa Jaramillo-Velez and Diana Gomez you stay quiet. So besides those two being your sources, I have heard that Carmen Olazabal , Danette Perez, and Pete Chircut have leaked information to you. Interesting enough all but one, Carmen Olazabal, have a City of Miami connection who were involved in the SEC investigation. You have promised to look into the matter and you have refused to report the story. If indeed these are your sources, then I must say that I am totally disappointed in you. I hope you have not compromised your integrity and ethically have struck a deal not to write a report on any of the above mentioned individuals in return for information.
Sorry, but that is what the “Mala Lenguas” are saying.
On a side note, George Burgess is also part of the SEC investigation, which as my sources are saying, and I will be the first to report here on your website, will be selected as the next City of Coral Gables Manager. Once he is appointed City Manger he will permanently appoint the scumbag interim Police Chief Ed Hudak. I am also hearing that you already know this, but also refuse to report, because of your relationships with Hudaks.
I don’t want to believe this. Ladra, can I hear your side of the story.
As one of many employees who continues to get screwed by the City S****y, we along with residents need a manager who can get past the segregation of classes of employees and treat all equally, with pension contribution and payouts equal regardless of class. That makes for a happier workforce, which in turn will trickle up or down to the services provided the residents. But whomever is selected, his or her appointment will be slammed down our throats as usual. We the employees will work for our new boss and as is mostly the case will be told if we don’t like it, we can leave. There needs to be change, but how about cutting some top positions that are duplicable of each other and generate a happy work force who actually give a damn about the City?
One last thought: please make sure this selection has no prior or present association with the past manager, Salerno. Its bad enough that past Salerno underlings find it necessary to visit his Gables’ home for instructions and/or lessons to this very day. To those now running the city: Salerno is gone, out, kaput – think for yourselves if you are able to…………………
George Burgess and Carlos Alvarez along with Manny Diaz and Bruno Barrerio need to be indicting for the Marlins Scam. Manny Diaz is still under investigation by the SEC. No way Jose.
Sunlit job searches generally give you applicants not currently employed, about to be unemployed, or seeking to leverage better pay from their current employers; job searches conducted confidentially tend to offer more applicants who are currently employed.
While I was employed I declined to speak with searchers/consultants who could/would not guarantee confidentiality.
George Burgess? Are you kidding me????? He pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes on the Marlins stadium boongoggle, which we’ll paying for decades!!! No tiene verguenza. Nor would these City Beautiful commissioners or the asleep-at-the-wheel Mayor if they hire him.
Perhaps the National Council for la Raza should question the blatant racist demeanor of the City Beautiful.