The Battle Creek City Commission has selected four finalists for the city manager position, Mayor Mark Behnke said during his mayor’s report at the July 15 meeting. The finalists were screened from seven semifinalists recommended by Strategic Government Resources (SGR), the recruitment firm the city hired to lead the search.

The finalists listed by the mayor were: Burke (identified in the report only by surname), who previously served as township administrator for Westchester Township, Ohio, from February 2018 to February 2025 and as assistant city administrator in Bellevue, Nebraska, from 2012 to February 2018; Amanda Zimmerman, city manager of Clayton, Ohio, since February 2020 and formerly assistant city administrator in Springdale, Ohio; Matt Hartline, who served as village manager of Villa Park, Illinois, from 2022 to May 2025 and previously as assistant city manager in Dover, Delaware; and Carl Gefkin, city manager of Fort Smith, Arkansas, from March 2016 to December 2024 and formerly chief operating officer and interim director of children and youth services for Berks County, Pennsylvania.

The city hired SGR to recruit and vet applicants for the position, which has been vacant since former city manager Rebecca Flurry retired in November 2024. Since Flurry’s retirement, Assistant City Manager Ted Dearing has served as interim city manager.

Neighbors are invited to meet the finalists at a public meet-and-greet on Wednesday, Aug. 6, at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 50 Capitol Avenue. The event will be held in the atrium from 5:30 to 7 p.m., with candidate introductions beginning shortly after 5:30 p.m. Each finalist will undergo a final interview with the city commission during a special meeting on Thursday, Aug. 7; the mayor said more details about that meeting would be released soon.

Why this matters: the city manager is the top administrative official responsible for carrying out City Commission policy and managing daily operations. Filling the position will move Battle Creek from an interim management arrangement back to a permanent chief administrative officer.

How residents can participate: attendees at the Aug. 6 meet-and-greet may ask questions and provide feedback to elected officials, the mayor said. The city’s website will carry additional details about the special meeting and any public-comment procedures for the interviews.

Background: the Commission reviewed candidate qualifications in a closed-door session on July 15, as part of the recruitment process managed by SGR. The mayor’s report provided biographical highlights for each finalist, including academic credentials and prior municipal experience; the report did not supply each finalist’s full first name for the candidate listed as "Burke." The city did not announce a timeline for a formal appointment during the mayor’s remarks.