By Mary Hladky
Eighty-one candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to become Boca Raton’s next city manager, with the recruitment firm hired by the city recommending that eight be considered semifinalists.
City Council members likely will decide on July 15 which ones they want to interview. The interviews will take place on Aug. 12 and they could select one that day.
The recruitment firm Mercer Group Associates had recommended the city speed up its selection process, concerned that high-quality candidates might accept other offers.
The successful candidate will replace George Brown, who has served for 43 years with city. He was promoted to the top job on Jan. 1, 2024, after 21 years as deputy city manager.
Two of the top candidates are high-ranking city employees.
Jorge Camejo is a former executive director of the Community Redevelopment Agency, which oversees the downtown, and director of development services who became executive director of the Hollywood CRA before rejoining the city earlier this year as a deputy city manager.
Jim Zervis was hired by the city in 2024 as chief financial officer. He was promoted to deputy city manager earlier this year but retained his financial title. He previously served as chief administrative officer for Kern County in central California, which at the time had a $3.5 billion budget. He also has held high-ranking roles in other cities and counties.
Two other candidates from Florida are Shaun Gayle, Miramar’s assistant city manager, who also has held other titles in that city since she was hired in 2014; and Treasa Brown Stubbs, Lauderdale Lakes’ city manager, who similarly held other titles with the city since joining it in 2004.
The others are:
• Sonia Alves-Viveiros, now city manager/business administrator for the township of Edison, New Jersey, and formerly city manager in Englewood and city manager for the township of Maplewood, both in New Jersey;
• Harry Black, currently a fellow at the National Academy of Public Administration in Washington, D.C., and formerly city manager of Stockton, California, founder and general manager of Maximus Management Group in Cincinnati, and Cincinnati city manager;
• Eric Brackins, assistant city manager of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and formerly city manager of Norris, Tennessee, and budget analyst for the Louisville, Kentucky, finance department;
• J. David Fraser, interim county manager of Adams County, Colorado, and formerly executive director of the Wyoming Association of Municipalities, city manager of Boulder, Colorado, and executive director of the Nevada League of Cities and Municipalities.
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