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City of Stuart committee recommends eight finalists, five alternates for city manager interviews
Summary
A five-member City of Stuart selection committee voted unanimously Feb. 13 to forward eight definite city manager candidates — including four veterans-preference nominees — and five alternates to the City Commission for interviews and background checks.
The City of Stuart’s City Manager Application Review Committee on Feb. 13 voted unanimously to forward eight definite candidates and up to five alternates to the City Commission for interview scheduling and vetting.
The panel, chaired by Vice Mayor Don Reed, recommended four veterans-preference candidates that the committee said must be interviewed (tabs 6, 34, 56 and 80) and named four additional definite interviewees: Mark Matthysse (tab 58), Christopher Russo (tab 73), Chandler Williamson (tab 83) and Shane Corbin (tab 19). The committee also listed five alternates/maybes to consider if the Commission wants a larger pool: Artha Benitis (tab 28), Carl Gfkin (tab 32), Stanley Hawthorne (tab 44), Colin Donnelly (tab 25) and Ricardo Mendes (tab 62).
Committee counsel opened the meeting by reminding members of Florida's public meeting rules and advising legal compliance throughout the selection process. "I am going to be the attorney for the board," counsel said, noting committees are subject to Sunshine Law constraints and that the City Commission could return the item for further review.
Members said they prioritized candidates with recent Florida municipal experience, direct city manager leadership and credentials such as ICMA certification. "I place a high priority on Florida experience," Committee member Dan Hudson said, and several members said that familiarity with state-specific practices such as budgeting and public-records obligations weighed heavily in their decisions.
The committee reviewed applications aloud and explained reasons for advancing candidates. Mark Matthysse was described by members as an experienced Florida manager with ICMA certification and local ties; committee members noted a resume/application formatting inconsistency they said they would vet in interviews. Christopher Russo drew support for his long tenure as Sunny Isles city manager and project oversight experience, though some members flagged a gap on his résumé that background checks could clarify. Chandler Williamson and Shane Corbin were advanced in part for South Florida municipal experience and backgrounds in planning, zoning and HR, members said.
Members also discussed the logistics of building an interview pool. "We're trying to get to 12 applicants," one member said, referencing the committee’s goal to present a robust slate. Several members recommended including additional 'maybe' candidates to reach the Commission's requested 8–12 interview pool and to allow for attrition during the multi-stage hiring process.
At the conclusion of the discussion the committee moved the full slate — the four veterans-preference candidates, the four definite candidates, and the five alternates — to the City Commission. The roll-call vote was unanimous.
The committee’s recommendation will be presented to the City Commission at its next scheduled meeting; the Commission will determine final interview scheduling, perform background checks and decide the subsequent steps in the hiring process. The committee adjourned immediately after the vote.
