Half of Hilton Head’s candidates for town manager suddenly withdrew. Who’s left?
Two of the four finalists for Hilton Head’s top job withdrew their names from consideration on the same day they were announced to the public.
Andrew Brannen and Bristol Ellington are no longer on the Town of Hilton Head Island’s list of candidates, according to a news release sent Tuesday night.
That leaves just two candidates on the list: Assistant Town Manager Josh Gruber and Michael Bennett, a city manager currently serving Fruita, Colo.
The news release said the executive search firm that assembled the list of finalists, Colin Baenziger & Associates, would contact an alternate candidate. Contacted Wednesday, Colin Baenziger said the alternate also declined to be further considered.
Baenziger said the alternative withdrew his name because he was unhappy with being a substitute. Baenziger said he could not release the alternate’s name.
The town paid $26,500 for the executive search from the firm.
The town announced Saturday that it would hold an in-person reception for 50 people to meet the candidates selected to interview for the position. Slated for Sept. 30, the reception will feature the candidates and their spouses.
The town is choosing 24 random residents from the registration pool to attend the event, where a news release said there will be light hors d’oeuvres and beverages.
The person chosen to be Hilton Head’s town manager will chart the course on town decisions at a crucial moment in the island’s history.
Under departing Steve Riley, the town has created a robust land acquisition program and managed projects such as the Cross Island Parkway, the Lowcountry Celebration Park, Shelter Cove Towne Centre and countless road projects to handle the island’s growth.
Since Hilton Head has a part-time mayor/ full-time town manager system of government, the town manager oversees all town staff and is considered the person who turns Town Council objectives into actionable items that create material changes throughout the island.
The town manager must be responsible to the council for the proper administration of all affairs of the municipality including appointing employees, fixing salaries, preparing and executing the town’s annual budget and advising the council on future needs of the town, according to Riley’s job description on the town’s website.
Riley’s base salary, not including his benefits, is $189,426, according to the town’s Human Resources department.
The town’s job posting says the salary range for a new hire is between $158,000 and $245,000.
About the candidates
Michael Bennett has served as the city manager of Fruita, Colo., (population: 13,406) since 2014. He worked in Hickory, N.C., prior to moving to Colorado. Bennett holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Brigham Young University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism, emphasis in Public Relations and Marketing, from Utah State University.
Reached Wednesday, Bennett said he was looking forward to meeting residents and town staff next month at a reception for candidates.
“We were not necessarily in the job hunt but when we saw the opportunity on Hilton Head we talked to the recruiter,” he said of his family. “Hilton Head is such a unique and amazing opportunity. There’s such a rich history there.”
Joshua Gruber has served as Hilton Head’s assistant town manager since 2018. Gruber received a Masters in Public Administration from Georgia State University and a law degree from Capital University Law School. Gruber was an assistant county attorney for Berkeley County, S.C. He became Beaufort County’s attorney in 2011. In 2017, he was named interim county administrator. He was not named to the permanent county administrator position.
A call to Gruber Wednesday was not immediately returned.
About the two candidates who withdrew their names:
- Andrew Brannen is currently the vice president for administration and finance for Kean University in Union and Hillside, N.J. He was previously town manager of Ocean Township, N.J. (population: 30,000).
- Bristol Ellington has served as Chief Operating Officer/Deputy City Manager in Henderson, Nev., (population: 310,390) since July 2018. Previously, he was the city’s director of community development. He worked as a planner on Hilton Head Island in the 1980s and as principal planner in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., from 1988 to 1996.
Brannen withdrew his name from consideration because he was offered a promotion at Kean University, Baenziger told The Island Packet. Ellington withdrew when he discussed the opportunity with his wife and they decided to stay in Nevada.
Calls to both Brannen and Ellington on Wednesday were not returned.
About the in-person reception
The town has been sharply criticized for offering few opportunities for public feedback in the hiring process for the its executive.
Although the reception provides a venue for public involvement, the decision to host a 50-person event during the coronavirus runs contrary to most medical advice, which discourages large gatherings of unrelated people.
Attendees will be required to wear masks at the reception, which will be held at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa, Human Resources Director Angie Stone told The Island Packet on Monday.
“We are going to rely heavily on the hotel to have the right sorts of safety precautions, and it’s going to be in a space typically used for much larger events,” she said.
Stone said the event will cost the town around $2,500 and it is moving forward because the Town Council wants to make the hiring process more transparent.
When residents register for the event, they are asked to electronically sign a waiver that reads:
“I acknowledge that my participation in this event is completely voluntary and that by choosing to participate I am affirmatively waiving any rights that I may have with regards to impacts to my health. I accept all responsibility for any adverse health effects resulting from my attendance and certify that I will not attend if I am unwell, am exhibiting symptoms associated with the virus, or have recently been in contact with someone who has contracted the virus.”
On Oct. 1, candidates for the job will be interviewed by Town Council members. Those interviews will be live-streamed and residents can submit questions for the candidates through the town’s website.
This story was originally published September 21, 2020 at 6:09 PM.
