Fort Smith receives 33 applicants for sanitation job, HR and top city boss slots still open

An open Fort Smith Department of Sanitation director job drew 33 applicants, with 11 from the metro area and seven from Fort Smith. The city also is in the process of hiring a human resources department director, and hopes by Feb. 18 to receive applications for the city administrator job that has been open since July 2015.

The sanitation director would oversee a department with an almost $10 million annual budget and 78 employees. The job has a pay range between $66,574 to$104,809. Acting City Administrator Jeff Dingman, who has the authority to hire a person for the job without Fort Smith Board approval, said the Board authorized city staff hire to the mid-point of the range “if experience, qualifications, and the market justify, so the target for hiring will be from $66,574 to $85,692.”

The job has been open since Dec. 7 when Dingman fired Baridi Nkokheli “for violation of personnel policies and the code of business conduct.” Nkokheli, who held the job for more than 10 years and was a popular re-enactor of legendary U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves, said reasons for his termination are unfounded and he plans legal action against the city. Dingman said the violations were serious enough to warrant sudden dismissal and would stand up under scrutiny.

The application period for sanitation director is closed, and while the city received applications from people with decades of deep experience in the industry, the city also received interest from several with no waste management experience.

Dingman said Monday (Feb. 1) that a committee made up of department heads will review applications and develop a short list of candidates. That process will lead to phone interviews, with the remaining candidates of interest brought in for interviews. Dingman said he hopes to complete the process by late February or early March.

“After all is done, the administrator evaluates feedback from the committee and makes the decision on the hire. This is typical of the process we’ve used in the last few years for department heads,” Dingman said in a note to Talk Business & Politics.

SANITATION DIRECTOR APPLICANTS
Following is the list of applicants, to include their employment or most recent employment and education.

Eric Best, Fort Smith, Ark.
16-year employee of the city of Fort Smith, and an animal control officer with the Fort Smith Police Department

Donavon Brown, Little Rock, Ark.
Former manager of Goddess Products in Little Rock, holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Brent Cassat, Fort Smith, Ark.
Materials handling director at Pernod Ricard (Hiram Walker) in Fort Smith, master’s degree in business administration, Webster University

Douglas Coenen, Waukesha, Wisc.
Midwest regional landfill manager, Advanced Disposal Services, U.S. Army veteran, bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering, University of Wisconson

Wesley Dedmon, Edmond, Okla.
Solid waste coordinator, city of Edmond

Randy DeWulf, Brea, Calif.
Project general manager, Broadrock Renewables, and former president and plant manager of AES Shady Point in Panama, Okla. (2000-2004), bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Wayne State University

Jarrod Doonan, Greenwood, Ark.
Plant manager/operations manager, Morrow Renewables, which manages the landfill gas system at the Fort Smith landfill, bachelor’s degree in computer information systems, Emporia State University

Matthew Foley, Joplin, Mo.
Director of environmental services, Olathe Medical Center

Kyle Foreman, Lewisville, Texas
Business services supervisor for solid waste services at the city of Irving, Texas, bachelor’s degree in business administration, East Carolina University

Roy Gordon, Humble, Texas
Regional account manager with Universal Recycling Technologies,

Jacob Gorham, Roland, Okla.
Former general manager- Smurfit Kappa-Fort Smith

Christopher Greene, Lavaca, Ark.
Systems analyst, Baldor Electric Co. in Fort Smith, bachelor’s degree in organizational management, John Brown University

Thomas Hodges, Farmington, Ark.
Maintenance and safety director, Walnut Grove Nursing Facility

Joseph Hopper, Alma, Ark.
Director of Department of Sanitation, Conway, Ark., and former assistant director of the Fort Smith Department of Sanitation (2007-2012), bachelor’s degree in accounting, University of Arkansas at Fort Smith

David Newkirk, Horinek, Okla.
Superintendent, Solid Waste Division, city of Ponca, Okla., bachelor’s degree in engineering technology-mechanical design, Oklahoma State University

Brett King, Fort Smith, Ark.
Construction industry consultant

Allen Ledbetter, Fort Smith, Ark.
Sales associate, Dick’s Sporting Goods

Jerry Lee, Fort Smith, Ark.
Division support specialist, Arkansas Support Network, bachelor’s degree in physical education, Arkansas Tech University

Steve McCaffrey, San Francisco, Calif.
Director of governmental affairs, North Bay Corp./Redwood Empire Disposal, bachelor’s degree in history, University of California-Berkeley

Jonathan Miesner, Charleston, Ark.
Former operations/production supervisor, Hickory Springs Manufacturing, Fort Smith, bachelor’s degree in agronomy, University of Arkansas

David Moreland, Roland, Okla.
Security officer, Cherokee Nation Entertainment

Gary Neathery, Haughton, La.
Director of public works, Bossier City, La., bachelor’s degree in construction engineering technology, Louisiana Tech University

Bryson Reeves, Greenwood, Ark.
Former management systems facilitator, Gerdau Fort Smith, bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, University of Central Arkansas, master’s degree in business administration, University of Central Arkansas

Dave Rydl, Eddy, Texas
Program administrator-landfill, Waco, Texas, bachelor’s degree in business administration, Bellevue University, master’s degree in business administration, Columbia Pacific University

Mark Schlievert, Moncks Corner, S.C.
Director of solid waste, Berkeley County, S.C., U.S. Army veteran, bachelor’s degree in engineering geology, University of Iowa

Landen Scoggins, Lavaca, Ark.
Vocational agri teacher, Lavaca Public Schools, bachelor’s degree in professional studies, Arkansas Tech University, master’s degree in education, University of Arkansas

Shamrao,Bhagawan Powai, Mumbai, India
Head of public health services, Institute of Technology Bombay, bachelor’s degree in environmental/civil engineering, Shivaji University of Kolhapur, master’s degree in environmental engineering, Walchand Engineering College, doctorate in civil engineering, Indian Institute of Technology

Beverly Sinkuler, Fort Smith, Ark.
Controller, West Fraser Inc. of Mansfield, bachelor’s degree in accounting, Arkansas State University

Steve Thomas, Greenwood, Ark.
Department supervisor, Baldor Electric Co., Fort Smith, U.S. Army officer

James Thompson, Fort Smith, Ark.
Operations manager-Ryder System in Van Buren, bachelor’s degree in industrial operations management, Northeastern State University, master’s degree in human resource management, Webster University

Shane Thompson, Spiro, Okla.
Child welfare specialist, Oklahoma Department of Human Services, bachelor’s degree in sports management, University of Arkansas

Kenneth Waddell, Gore, Okla.
Site safety and environmental advisor, Inland Dredging Company, bachelor’s degree in environmental health, Northeastern State University, bachelor’s degree in safety management, Northeastern State University

Mike Wiederkehr, Glendale, Calif.
Assistant integrated waste administrator, city of Glendale, Calif., bachelor’s degree in psychology, Loyola University, master’s degree in organizational leadership, Woodbury University

Link here for a PDF that provides more detail on each applicant.

CITY ADMINISTRATOR, HUMAN RESOURCE JOBS
The city’s HR director job has been open since Oct. 2 when Richard Jones resigned to take another job. Jones, who was the city’s human resources director for 14 years, was at the time the city’s third high-profile resignation since early July and the fourth top city official to step down in 2015.

City Administrator Ray Gosack resigned suddenly on July 10, with no reason given for the departure. Fort Smith Fire Chief Mike Richards announced Sept. 2 he would step down on Oct. 30 after almost 33 years with the department. Richards, who turns 60 in December, said the decision to retire was based solely on “providing 100%” of his time to family support rather than firefighting support. City Finance Director Kara Bushkuhl, who was with the city for 35 years, retired Oct. 6. The city had planned for that transition, with Deputy Finance Director Jennifer Walker promoted to finance director following Bushkuhl’s retirement.

Dingman said Monday that there were three finalists for the HR job. Those are:
• Azizi Wilborn
former human resources manager, Oxane Materials in Van Buren
bachelor’s degree in organizational management, John Brown University
master’s degree in human resources management, Webster University

• Stephen Lazur, Turtle Creek, Penn.
owner, Lazur Consulting Service
bachelor’s degree in human resources management, Point Park University
master’s degree in human resources management-industrial relation, Saint Francis University

• Thomas Ray, York, Penn.
deputy business administrator for human resources, city of York
bachelor’s degree in history, University of Oklahoma

Dingman said reviews and interviews could be complete with an HR director hiring decision as early as mid-February. The HR director has a salary range of $64,390 to $101,280. Dingman said the target hiring range will be from $64,390 to $82,835.

City Clerk Sherri Gard said Monday that applications for the city administrator are set to be delivered Feb. 18 by Colin Baenziger, owner of Colin Baenziger & Associates (CBA), the Daytona Shores Beach, Fla.-based firm hired by the city to find administrator applicants. Applications were initially scheduled for receipt on Jan. 13, but CBA wanted more time to collect applications.

The city administrator job pays between $130,000 and $170,000. Dingman has said he intended to apply for the job.

Requirements for the city’s top job include a bachelor’s degree, with a preference for a candidate with a master’s degree in business administration, public administration or a field related to public policy. The CBA recruitment piece suggests candidates have “seven to ten years of increasingly responsible experience as a senior level government or private sector executive.” The person is also required to live in the city if hired.