Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Appointments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission confirms interim county manager and department leaders; board directs consultant-led county manager search
Summary
The commission confirmed Jim Lisenfeld as interim county manager and approved confirmations for two senior department leaders; it also directed staff to issue an RFP for a consultant to run a national search for a permanent county manager and retained board involvement in screening.
Brevard County commissioners on April 8 confirmed Jim Lisenfeld as interim county manager and approved confirmations of two senior department appointments, while directing staff to procure a consultant to lead a county manager search process.
The board voted 5-0 to confirm Tad Calkins as Assistant County Manager for Development and Environmental Services and 5-0 to confirm Billy Prasad as Director of Planning and Development; both confirmations were presented by county staff. The board then voted 5-0 to confirm Jim Lisenfeld as interim county manager while the county conducts a national selection for a permanent manager.
Commissioners also directed staff to prepare an RFP and selection process for a consultant to conduct the manager search. The commission discussed adopting a process similar to the school system’s recent superintendent search, including community input, candidate interviews and opportunities for public engagement. The board agreed the consultant would present advertising and outreach plans and that a screening committee would evaluate consultant responses and later the candidate pool, with final selections and interviews conducted by the full board.
A public commenter raised concerns about development-office controversies; Sandra Sullivan asked commissioners to ensure transparency and to consider an outside candidate pool. Commissioners said they favored a broad, national search and asked that proposals be available electronically in addition to printed copies.
Why it matters: Filling executive leadership and securing a thorough, transparent national search are central to county governance during a leadership transition. Commissioners framed the interim appointment as a continuity step while pursuing an open search process.
What’s next: Staff will draft an RFP for a search consultant and return it for board consideration; the board plans to participate in process design and to review consultant recommendations before candidate interviews.
