Public Reception Monday for City Manager Finalists

TYLER — A public reception has been scheduled for Tyler residents to meet and greet the five finalists for the city manager position. The event is set for Monday from 4-6 p.m. at the Tyler Rose Garden Center. One of the finalists is a well-known local figure, while the others come from various parts of Texas. “Finding a city manager candidate who is both an exceptional leader and a fit for our community, City Council, and city staff is a high priority,” said Tyler Mayor Martin Heines. “Tyler is a unique community and it is vital that candidates selected for the interview process share the community’s vision, values and principles.”

The City Council selected Strategic Government Resources (SGR), to conduct and manage the extensive search. SGR is an executive search firm, based in Keller, Texas, specializing in recruiting, assessing, and developing, innovative, collaborative, and authentic leaders for local governments. The city received a strong field of 50 applications from candidates in 17 states, according to the news release. More than 40 of the candidates had local government management experience, with 34 candidates having served as a city manager or assistant city manager. “The entire City Council has been extremely involved in the recruitment process,” added Heines. “We have met several times as part of a posted meeting to discuss the qualities we are seeking in a candidate and to review applicants.”

The recruitment began in September following the departure of then-City Manager Mark McDaniel, who accepted a position with the city of Dallas. SGR was selected by the Tyler City Council to manage the recruitment process. The firm began with conducting an in-depth needs assessment, inquiry, and analysis to determine the characteristics and leadership style the City Council desires in a city manager, according to the release.

In addition to a thorough review of qualifications via resumes, the candidates have been pre-screened and each finalist has completed a comprehensive questionnaire, participated in an online interview, and taken two personality-based assessments, according to the news release. In addition, officials say, a highly comprehensive media search and a rigorous background investigation has been conducted on each of them. “We have made good progress in narrowing the search down to five candidates,” added Heines. “However, we still have a long way to go to ensuring we get the right candidate for the position. This will involve personal interviews as well as an opportunity to meet our senior leadership team and the community.”

Out-of-town candidates were scheduled to arrive on Sunday evening for the next step in the recruitment process. On Monday each candidate will be given an in-depth tour of the community, followed by the public reception, according to officials. On Tuesday, each candidate will be interviewed by the City Council.

Here’s a rundown of the finalists:

Edward Broussard is an ICMA credentialed manager with more than 19 years of local government experience and currently serves as the city manager of Missouri City, Texas. He served as city manager of Hutto, Texas from 2005-2011, city manager of Navasota, Texas from 2001-2005, assistant city manager of Woodway, Texas from 2000 to 2001, assistant to the city manager of College Station, Texas from 1997 to 2000, and as a management assistant for the Lubbock City-County Library from 1996 to 1997. Broussard also served as an administrative intern for the City of Lubbock Human Resources Department from 1995 to 1996. He holds a Masters of Public Administration from Texas Tech University and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Texas A&M University.

Kevin Hugman is an ICMA credentialed manager with more than 20 years of local government experience. He currently serves as the assistant city manager of Wichita Falls, Texas. He served the City of Southlake, Texas, as the director of Human Resources from 2002-2010, director of Community Services from 1998-2002, and assistant to the city manager/Community Services manager from 1993-1998. A Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserves with 26 years of active and reserve duty, Hugman holds a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

Steve Norwood has more than 28 years of local government experience. He served as the city manager of Round Rock, Texas from 2011-2014. He previously served as city manager of Prescott, Arizona from 2003-2011, assistant city manager of North Richland Hills, Texas from 1998-2003, city manager of Lancaster, Texas from 1995-1998, city manager of Wylie, Texas from 1992-1995, and assistant to the city manager/director of Economic Development for the City of Euless, Texas from 1986-1992. Norwood holds a Masters in Urban Affairs from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University.

Gary Swindle is the managing director of Public Safety for the City of Tyler and has been a key leader for the city since 2005. He began working for the city of Tyler in 1982 as a patrol officer and was appointed as chief of police in 2000. In his current position, he oversees Police, Centralized Dispatch, Code Enforcement and Animal Care Services. He is also the city liaison for 911 and Public Health. Swindle is a graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy and the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at Tyler.

Ben Thatcher is an ICMA credentialed manager with 12 years of local government experience. He joined the city of Southlake, Texas in 2004, and currently serves as assistant city manager-External Services. He served as assistant city manager-Internal Services from 2007-2013 and as assistant to the city manager from 2004-2007. Thatcher served as the management assistant for the City Council for the City of Denton, Texas, in 2004, and was Southlake’s management intern from 2002-2004. He holds a Masters of Public Administration from the University of North Texas, and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from the University of Utah.