ESCANABA — Members of the Delta County Board of Commissioners agreed to narrow the field of candidates for county administrator Tuesday. The two finalists for the position are Emily DeSalvo of Escanaba and Michael Silverman of Caro, Mich.

DeSalvo has served as district court administrator /magistrate /probation director for Delta County since April 2013. She also worked as an adult probation officer in the county’s district court from August 2012 to April 2013; before then, she worked as a supervisor of probation/special programs in Kendall County, Ill. from February 2009 to January 2012 and as an adult probation officer in DeKalb County, Ill., from May 2007 to February 2009. DeSalvo received a master of arts degree in sociology — criminology from Northern Illinois University in August 2011 and a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice/psychology from Northern Michigan University in May 2006.

Silverman is the city manager for Caro, a position he has held since July 2018. He also worked as a management analyst for Lee County, N.C., from November 2016 to July 2018, as a legislative intern for North Carolina State Rep. Robert Reives II from February 2016 to August 2016, and as a summer law clerk for the North Carolina State Ethics Commission from May 2015 to July 2015. Silverman expects to receive a master of public administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in December, and he earned a bachelor of arts degree in history from the University of North Carolina Wilmington between 2012 and 2014.

The board decided to hold additional interviews with DeSalvo and Silverman during its regular meeting Tuesday. Before the board’s vote was taken, a pair of candidates for the county administrator position — DeSalvo and Jack Ardaugh of Chicago, attorney of council for Fahey & Associates — were interviewed.

Three other candidates for the position were interviewed during a committee of the whole meeting Monday: Silverman, Jean Healy of Tallahassee, Fla., and Darren Widder of Escanaba. Healy is the Florida House of Representatives policy chief and Florida Department of Education deputy executive director, and Widder is the Upward Talent Council workforce services manager.

After the first round of interviews wrapped up during Tuesday’s meeting, board members shared their thoughts on the candidates involved with the process.

“I could pick two right now that I want to see,” Board Chair Patrick Johnson said, referring to DeSalvo and Silverman.

The board’s other members — along with interim County Administrator Tom Sabor — felt similarly.

“I would agree with Michael, and I would agree with Emily,” Sabor said.

A motion to contact DeSalvo and Silverman to set up a second round of interviews was unanimously approved. A date for the upcoming interviews has not been finalized; however, the board will aim to hold them next Monday or Tuesday at 5:15 p.m.