By Dan Moffett
Ocean Ridge town commissioners have narrowed their search for a new town manager to six candidates, and the list includes several familiar names from Palm Beach County and two former officials from Fernandina Beach.
The commission has scheduled a special public meeting for 9 a.m. on Sept. 8 to interview each finalist for 30 minutes. In all, 29 people applied to replace Ken Schenck, 76, who has held the job since 2006 and is retiring later this year. Commissioners agreed on a base salary of $95,000 for the position.
Here are the finalists:
Michael Czymbor, 51, ranked highest in a straw poll of commissioners with five of them putting him on their short list for the interview session. Czymbor served as city manager of Palatka for 2½ years, until city commissioners dismissed him in February after disputes over policy. Czymbor was city manager of Fernandina Beach from 2006 to 2012 and previously served as city administrator in Milan, Mich., and DeWitt, Mich. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from Bowling Green State University.
Mark Kutney, 61, finished tied for second in the straw poll with four votes. Kutney was town manager of Loxahatchee Groves from 2011 to 2014 and deputy city manager of Belle Glade for four years beginning in 2007. He was a finalist for the South Palm Beach town manager’s job last year.
Jamie Titcomb, 58, also received four votes in the straw poll. He was village manager in North Palm Beach for seven months in 2011, until the Town Council dismissed him. Titcomb was interim town manager in Lake Park in 2012 and served as executive director of the Palm Beach County League of Cities from 1999 to 2011. He was a two-term Boynton Beach city commissioner beginning in 1996.
David Harden, 72, was the Delray Beach city manager for 22 years until retiring in 2012. A Navy veteran with 48 years in public service, Harden was city manager of Winter Park from 1977 to 1989, and currently does municipal consulting work. He received three votes in the straw poll.
Violet (Lee) Leffingwell, 72, who has been town manager and water plant director in Mangonia Park since 2006 received two votes. Leffingwell served as town manager of Glen Ridge for six years beginning in 2000, and also was the town’s building inspector.
Joseph Gerrity, 62, succeeded Czymbor as city manager in Fernandina Beach in 2012 until resigning this year. Gerrity was mayor of Fernandina from 2002 to 2004 and before that a coordinator for the Suwannee County Commission. He also received two votes.
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