Gladstone picks city manager finalists
GLADSTONE — The names of four candidates vying to become Gladstone’s next city manager were released Wednesday. City commissioners could make a decision on who should hold the position as early as June 3.
A full day of interviews and commissioner discussion are scheduled for Saturday, June 3, beginning at 8 a.m. at city hall. Interviews will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will continue into the afternoon before commissioners begin deliberations. During the deliberations portion of the day, the commissioners intend to extend a conditional offer to one of the candidates and identify a city representative to negotiate an employment agreement with the selected candidate.
At 8:30 a.m., the commission will interview Patrick Jordan, of Muskegon, Mich. Jordan holds and masters of public administration from Western Michigan University. He has served in municipal and county positions in Michigan and Alaska including city manager of Unalaska, Alaska, borough manager for Bristol Bay Borough, Ala., and Muskegon Charter Township supervisor in Muskegon, Mich. Most recently he served as as the Wexford County administrator in Cadillac, Mich., where he served from November of 2015 until March of this year.
Jordan also has a background in law enforcement, acting as a corrections officer for the Ottawa County Sheriff Department from 1994 to 1998, and a Friend of the Court investigator for the Ottawa County Family Court from 1998 to 2000.
At 9:45 a.m., the commission will interview Jeffery Thornton, of Negaunee. Most recently, Thornton served as the city manager of Negaunee from March of 2011 until February of 2016. Prior to that, Thornton served as a business consultant and chief administrative officer of the County of Alpena.
Thornton was selected to serve as the city manager for Escanaba on March 22 pending a background check. However, it was announced earlier this month that Thornton had been removed from further consideration for the position. Escanaba’s city manager search is still ongoing.
At 11 a.m., Chase Waggoner of Vandalia, Mo., will be interviewed by the commissioners. Waggoner most recently served as the city administrator of Vandalia from July 2016 to March 2017. Prior to that, Waggoner served as the fire chief and director of emergency management for the city of Girard, Kan., adjunct faculty for the University of Kansas, a legislative assistant in the Missouri House of Representatives, and a city councilman for the city of Lebanon, Mo.
Waggoner holds a bachelor of arts in history from Missouri State University. He holds multiple certifications related to firefighting and has received training from the FEMA Emergency Management Institute. He also is an officer with the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Following a lunch break beginning at 12:15 p.m., the commission will interview Darcy Long at 1 p.m. Between June of 2008 and March of this year, Long served as the city administrator and zoning administrator for the city of Amery, Wis. He has also served as the manager for the Town of Markle, Ind., the interim village manager for the village of Cass City, Mich., and the city manger of Brown City Mich. and Booker, Texas.
Long holds a masters of public administration from Northern Michigan University, a bachelors of science from Lake Superior State University, and a certified public manager certification from Texas Tech University.