Kalamazoo — The Kalamazoo City Commission’s Committee of the Whole on Aug. 11 received a recruitment timeline and candidate qualifications for the city manager search from consultant Pamela Weidman of Raftelis, who outlined steps from outreach and brochure posting through candidate review and final interviews.

Weidman said her team began discovery meetings with commissioners in mid-July and received a “notice to proceed in early July.” She described a schedule that calls for a recruitment brochure and posting within days, candidate screening beginning with a first review of applicants on Sept. 12, a closed-session candidate review on Oct. 6 and finalist interviews and community meet-and-greets in October, with a projected announcement of the selected candidate on Oct. 20.

The timeline matters because the city manager serves as Kalamazoo’s chief executive officer, responsible for daily operations and implementing policy set by the commission. Commissioners and several public commenters at the meeting pressed for inclusive community engagement to ensure the hire reflects local priorities.

Weidman said the recruitment brochure will include “position priorities,” minimum and preferred qualifications, compensation and benefits and application instructions. Minimum qualifications she described include a bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration or a related field; 10 years of progressively responsible experience in local government management, public policy, economic development, planning or related fields; and five years of management experience that includes coaching and mentoring. Preferred qualifications she listed include a master’s degree, demonstrated success in economic development, downtown redevelopment, affordable housing, public safety and infrastructure management, and being an ICMA‑credentialed manager.

“She needs to be a strategic leader grounded in community well‑being and equity,” Vice Mayor Hess summarized of the traits commissioners said they wanted in the next city manager, paraphrasing themes Weidman reported having heard in discovery meetings.

Commissioners discussed how the commission will move from a closed session review of applications to publicly naming finalists. City Attorney (referred to in the meeting as) Attorney Biel explained that Michigan’s Open Meetings Act allows applicants to request confidentiality on their applications; confidentiality ends when finalists are named. Biel recommended a numbered ballot/tally process in open session so names of unsuccessful candidates remain confidential until finalists are announced.

Weidman described her screening process: she will monitor applications as they arrive, provide periodic counts to the commission if requested, and begin phone screenings after a soft close on Sept. 12. She also said she will place at least one question in phone screens about applicants’ experience with racial equity or diversity, equity and inclusion, after commissioners requested that element be emphasized earlier in the process.

Community members and commissioner speakers repeatedly requested broader public engagement than the consultant’s stakeholder breakfast scheduled the morning after the Aug. 11 meeting. Several public commenters representing ISAAC, El Concilio, the NAACP and community groups urged additional community‑led sessions, outside city facilities and at evening times, so residents who work daytime hours or who distrust city‑hosted forums can participate. Weidman said she is open to virtual or evening sessions and that comments gathered at other community‑hosted meetings could be incorporated into the candidate‑review process.

Weidman reported that the online survey tied to the recruitment had received “a little over 200 responses” by the time of her presentation. She said the survey and other community input would remain available through Aug. 24 to capture additional responses.

Commissioners also requested meeting notes from the stakeholder breakfast be shared with the commission and the public in the city’s recruitment landing page or the regular Friday report; staff and Weidman said they would work to provide summaries from the stakeholder meeting, noting they might not be verbatim but would capture themes.

Procedural action taken during the meeting included a motion to excuse Commissioners Decker and Bridal from the start of the session. The motion, moved by Commissioner Cooney and supported by Vice Mayor Hess, passed by voice vote.

What’s next: the stakeholder meeting Weidman referenced was scheduled the morning after the Aug. 11 session; the recruitment brochure was to be posted for public review in the days following the meeting; Weidman said she will return for the candidate‑review meeting on Oct. 6 and to help facilitate finalist interviews in October.

— Direct quotes and attributions in this article come from participants listed below in the speakers section and are taken from the Aug. 11 committee meeting transcript.