Palo Alto committee unanimously hires Terry Black & Co. for city attorney search; council outlines interview process

The Palo Alto Council Appointed Officer Committee voted unanimously Sept. 22 to retain Terry Black & Company to conduct the recruitment for the cityattorney and authorized the city manager to execute a professional services agreement not to exceed $40,000, with reimbursable expenses capped at $10,000.

The vote followed public comment and interviews with two finalist executive-search firms, Bob Murray & Associates and Terry Black & Company. Committee members said they favored Terry Black based on the firm—s local experience, outreach approach and familiarity with Palo Alto—s leadership team and civic context.

Committee Chair Tom Stone said the group—s goal is to move quickly while preserving candidate confidentiality and quality. Sandra Blanch, Palo Alto—s human resources director, introduced the item and said the committee received written proposals and had previously invited firms back for follow-up questions.

The committee spent substantial time clarifying the recruitment timeline, brochure content and the structure of candidate screening. Nick Raich, assistant director of human resources, described the brochure on the agenda as "content only" and said the final brochure would be refined in consultation with the selected firm and with stakeholder interviews.

Terry Black, president of Terry Black & Company, told the committee the firm has worked in the Silicon Valley for years and emphasized a high-touch process that includes targeted outreach, screening interviews, written reports and in-depth preparation for finalists. "We spend a lot of time with the finalists offering them, you know, assistance, coaching," Black said. "Only one person's gonna get the job, and we want everyone to leave the process feeling like they had an enriching professional experience."

Valerie Gaeta Phillips, president of Bob Murray & Associates, described her firm's national outreach and recruitment timeline, noting she typically runs executive searches 12 to 14 weeks and provides weekly recruitment updates to clients.

Council members pressed both firms on recruiting competitive city-attorney candidates in the Bay Area, given cost-of-living and council-staff dynamics. Phillips said candidates care most about "how the council gets along and how they treat staff" and that compensation is also a factor. Black said the city—s high level of community engagement and the complexity of Palo Alto—s portfolio make the role attractive to candidates seeking a challenge.

Committee members also discussed the structure of interview panels. The committee and staff outlined a multi-step process: the firm screens applicants and provides tiers of recommended candidates; the council conducts closed-session interviews with a narrowed set of finalists; and the committee may add separate stakeholder panels (executive leadership team members, community representatives, or peer city attorneys) to provide input. Terry Black confirmed the firm would accept direction from council on which stakeholders to include and emphasized confidentiality to preserve candidate participation.

After deliberation, the committee moved to retain Terry Black & Company and to authorize the city manager or designee to execute a professional-services agreement not to exceed $40,000 plus reimbursable expenses not to exceed $10,000. Vice Mayor Vicky Venker, Council Member Pat Burt and Chair Tom Stone voted "yes," and the chair declared the motion carried unanimously.

Committee members asked staff to provide an editable copy of the draft brochure for more detailed comments and to ensure that City Attorney candidate materials clearly describe the executive and management responsibilities in the role. Staff said Terry Black & Company will conduct one-on-one meetings with each council member and other stakeholders to finalize the candidate profile and brochure content.

The committee also received public comments urging transparency about how council-appointed officers are evaluated and what performance indicators exist for the city attorney. A public commenter asked that finalized performance indicators be made public and included in recruitment materials so applicants are aware of expectations.

The committee adjourned after confirming the selection and next steps for brochure revisions and the recruitment timeline.