By Joe Capozzi
Lynne Ladner, a former interim town manager in Pinellas County, will take over as interim town manager in Ocean Ridge.
Town commissioners Aug. 8 voted 4-0 to hire Ladner after interviewing one other candidate, former Lake County Manager Alan Rosen. Commissioner Geoff Pugh was absent. Ladner formally accepted the job on Aug. 10.
She is expected to start Sept. 1 or a few days earlier, working alongside outgoing town manager Tracey Stevens, whose last day is Sept. 11. Stevens has accepted the town manager job in Haverhill.
Commissioners hope to interview candidates for a full-time town manager in October and hire one by Thanksgiving. Ladner told commissioners she is interested in the full-time position.
A third candidate, former Sewall’s Point Town Manager Michelle Berger, had applied for the interim job but later withdrew.
Commissioners were impressed with Rosen, but felt Ladner was the better fit. Rosen told commissioners he probably would not be interested in the full-time position because of family commitments.
“I think Lynne would be a good fit for keeping the boat afloat for the three months while we are looking for somebody else,’’ Mayor Susan Hurlburt said.
Ladner has more than 15 years of experience working in local governments in Florida, Michigan and Kansas. More recently she served as interim town manager in Kenneth City, a suburb of St. Petersburg. She is currently working as a consultant for the city of Pahokee, a job she will leave before starting in Ocean Ridge.
Ladner will draw a paycheck based on a $100,000 annual salary for the first two weeks. On Sept. 12 her pay will increase to $132,500 a year, which Stevens is making.
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