City hires a new fire chief
Search for city manager pared down to six
The city of Whitefish has a new fire chief, interim city manager Dennis Taylor announced Monday.
J. Thomas Kennelly, of Conifer, Colo., was chosen from a list of 45 applications after a nationwide search. He will replace Dave Sipe, who retired earlier this year. Kennelly will begin work in Whitefish on Nov. 3.
Kennelly has 29 years of distinguished service in fire, rescue and emergency services, Taylor said. Most recently, he was the fire chief for the Elk Creek Fire Protection District in Conifer, a 65-member combination fire district 25 miles southwest of Denver.
He also served as the emergency services coordinator for the Mount Prospect Fire Department in Mount Prospect, Ill., an 80-member department in the suburbs of Chicago, and as fire chief for the Long Grove Fire Protection District in Long Grove, Ill.
Kennelly holds bachelor of science degrees in accounting and fire science management from Southern Illinois University and has been a certified public accountant since 1986.
Meanwhile, the search for a new city manager in Whitefish has been narrowed to six finalists. An open-house reception for the finalists will take place Sunday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. at The Loft, above The Toggery.
Final interviews will be conducted Nov. 3 in lieu of a city council meeting, and a new city manager should be selected by the following week, according to Seattle consultant Greg Prothman.
Prothman narrowed down a list of applicants from 64 to 14 candidates. The list was further pared to six finalists with assistance from the council. The job was advertised for a salary range of $110,000 to $130,000 a year.
The six finalists include:
? James Antonen has 26 years of city administration and management experience and most recently served as city manager in Davis, Calif., from 2001 to 2006. For the past two years he has been employed with Bob Murray and Associates as a senior manager, conducting executive searches for local-government managers.
? Peter Boyce is currently the administrative-services manager for Missoula. He has more than 10 years of experience in city and county government, including a stint as county administrator of Wabasha County, Minn.
? Curt Carver has had a long career in public service and has held chief administrative officer positions for the past 21 years. He was village manager in Carpentersville, Ill., and is currently village administrator in Inverness, Ill., an upscale community near Chicago.
? Jay Krauss is the city manager in Lewiston, Idaho, and has nearly 20 years experience in city management. He worked for 10 years as city administrator in Sturgeon Bay, Wis
? Chuck Stearns lived in Whitefish from 1980 to 1982. He is currently the town administrator in Georgetown, Colo. Stearns has more than 20 years of public-service experience.
? Dave Torgler has worked for more than 20 years in municipal management and administration, most recently serving as town manager of Winter Park, Colo. Prior to that he was city administrator for the city of Burlington, Wis.