Council advances two finalists for Bloomington city manager after day of interviews

The Bloomington City Council voted 7–0 on Monday to invite two finalists — Zach Walker and Kathy Hadeem — back for a second interview in the city manager search.

The decision followed a full day of in-person interviews with four finalists hosted at Bloomington City Hall. The panel heard presentations and followed structured questions about candidates’ records on economic development, organizational culture, public safety, and community engagement.

Consultant Greg (name on file with the council) opened the morning by stressing the stakes of the hiring process, telling the panel that “the selection of a chief executive is the most important decision that any board will make.” He led the council through an orientation on the day’s schedule and evaluation procedures before the interviews began.

After the interviews, council members used a forced-ranking tool provided in each candidate packet to record preferences after each session. Council members discussed strengths and concerns for each finalist before the motion to invite Walker and Hadeem passed unanimously. Councilmember D’Alessandro moved to invite the two finalists back; Councilmember Rivas seconded the motion. The motion was approved 7–0.

The council scheduled the second-round interviews for 7 p.m. on July 15. Those sessions will be less structured: the consultant told the panel the second interviews will be “unscripted” to give council members and candidates a chance to explore topics from the first round in more depth and allow the candidates to ask questions.

The council did not take further action on hiring at Monday’s meeting. Members said they expect additional deliberations after the second interviews, and the consultant will manage logistics of invitations and the schedule for the next day.