Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Executive Transition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
San Francisco HSS Director Catherine Dodd to Leave; Board Outlines Open, Transparent Search
Summary
Executive Director Catherine Dodd notified the Health Service System board of her planned resignation and agreed to extend her departure to assist a transition; the board and DHR outlined a broadly public recruitment process with estimated costs of $20,000–$50,000 and plans to empanel a subcommittee.
President Scott opened the meeting by reading a letter notifying the board that Executive Director Catherine J. Dodd plans to resign (initially effective Feb. 28, 2017) and has agreed to extend her service through March 15 to help with the transition. Scott said the board intends a "broad, transparent, and open" recruitment process and invited the City’s Department of Human Resources to outline options.
Mickey Callahan, director of DHR, told commissioners the department can provide end-to-end support or a lighter-touch solicitation process, and described two practical paths: use a prequalified recruitment vendor list for a rapid contract or issue a solicitation to identify an outside firm. Callahan estimated search costs would typically run between $20,000 and $50,000 depending on the extent of community outreach and candidate vetting.
Callahan urged the board to empanel a subcommittee to lead the search and recommended allowing the recruitment firm to manage community meetings and initial screening if the board prefers. He said DHR can provide sample solicitation letters, interview questions and administrative support, and that confidentiality provisions normally route applicant materials directly to the recruitment firm.
President Scott said he expects the board to discuss structure and next steps at the next meeting and emphasized that retirees and the four employer groups represented by HSS will be included in defining the candidate profile. Crispin Hollings, president of the Municipal Executives Association, and several retiree-advocacy speakers urged the board to involve retiree representatives in the process and to conduct a national, open search.
Scott closed the discussion by thanking Director Dodd for agreeing to assist during the transition and by asking staff to circulate prior executive director job descriptions and draft solicitation materials to the board ahead of the next meeting.
