By Kyle Clayton
Haines Borough Assembly members will meet Thursday to start reviewing applications for the manager position. They include one from recent manager Bill Seward, who was fired from the job in December.
“After careful review of the circumstances, I believe the Haines Borough continues to be an excellent fit for my background, experience and skill sets,” Seward wrote in a letter to the Mayor and borough assembly dated March 2.
In Seward’s application packet, he cited his seven months on the job here. The assembly voted 4-2 to terminate Seward’s employment following complaints about his handling of personnel issues and concerns that he was making decisions without assembly direction.
In December he said publicly that he was pursuing legal action against the borough.
Seward did not respond to phone calls or emails regarding his recent application.
As of Tuesday, the borough had 10 applications for the position.
Harry Staven from Washington has served as a finance director for multiple cities including Galena and as a city administrator in Hoonah. He has also worked as the interim city manager in St. Mary’s and other towns.
James McDermott has a bachelor’s degree in occupational education and a master’s degree in business organizational management.
John Li is the current finance officer in Whittier. He was finance director in Homer, leaving for “certain principle disagreement,” according to his application. Li has a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University and a master’s in accounting from Lehman College.
Patrick Jordan was an assistant city manager in Unalaska two years and a borough manager of the Bristol Bay Borough for 13 months. He holds a master’s degree in public administration.
Truitt Rounsavall recently worked as a facility manager and business consultant in the U.S. Navy and a program manager for Halliburton. He has a master’s degree in engineering, modeling and simulation and is studying toward a master’s in business administration.
Brad Ryan, the current interim borough manager, has also applied. Beforehand, he was a research scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He holds a doctoral degree in Environmental Science and Resources.
Haines resident Debra Schnabel has held multiple positions is executive director of the Haines Chamber of Commerce. She has served as a borough assembly member and worked as assistant to the borough manager. She is a former manager of KHNS and holds a master’s degree in public administration.
Gene Green was most recently a project manager and city manager in Oregon. He has a master’s degree in human resources education.
Margaret Friedenauer, chair of the assembly’s Personnel Committee, said she hoped to have in-person interviews at two weeks at the earliest. The committee recommended the assembly interview up to four candidates.