Commissioners Seek Anti-Fox

The only publicly visible evidence of the search for a new Guilford County manager is that, on Thursday, Oct. 18, the county posted a survey on the front page of the county's website so residents could offer input on the qualities, background and skills they would like to see in the next county manager.

While there might not be a lot of public movement on the search, behind closed doors quite a bit of intriguing activity has been taking place. For one thing, the commissioners have been meeting with representatives of the Richmond office of Springsted Inc., the search firm hired by the county to find the next manager.

The only clue so far that something is going on behind the scenes was a moment that occurred at the Thursday, Oct. 4 Guilford County Board of Commissioners meeting. That night, after a closed session, when the commissioners returned to their seats at the dais in their meeting room in the Old Guilford County Court House, County Attorney Mark Payne told the commissioners they should take note of the envelopes marked "Confidential" that had been placed in their chairs.

Payne added that the contents pertained to the manager search, but he gave no details and no one has ever said anything else about the mysterious, commissioners'-eyes-only documents since.

Those envelopes contained the results of private interviews the search firm conducted with the commissioners.

The head-hunting firm had extensive conversations with the Guilford County commissioners, and, in those interviews, commissioners talked individually with search firm representatives about a wide-range of topics – including the salary of the next county manager, the process by which he or she would be chosen, and the desired training, education and character of the next county manager.

Some concerns that commissioners brought up in the discussions seem to be a reaction to issues they have with current Guilford County Manager Brenda Jones Fox, who's retiring on Feb. 1, 2013.

The final decision on a new manager is likely to be made early next year by the smaller nine-member Board of Commissioners. Newly elected members will be sworn in on Monday, Dec. 3.

The report from John A. Anzivino, a senior vice president of the firm, included a compilation of the interviews with 10 of the 11 current commissioners. (Commissioner Mike Winstead wasn't interviewed because he was out of town on business during the two days those interviews took place.)

The report, titled "County Manager Selection Process: Profile Development Process," contains the commissioners' responses to an extensive set of questions. However, it doesn't identify which commissioner gave which response.

One interesting revelation in the report is that the search firm already has some candidates in mind.

Anzivino wrote, "I have spoken to several individuals who may have an interest in the Manager's position and will be attending the International City/County Management Association meeting beginning on Saturday and will be identifying and speaking with potential candidates to gauge their general interest in serving the County."

That four-day convention, held in Phoenix, began on Saturday, Oct. 7 and drew over 3,000 attendees.

The report from the search firm stated that, based on the interviews with commissioners, the next Guilford County manager can expect a salary of between $150,000 and $180,000 a year. Fox currently makes $183,200 a year.

Greensboro City Manager Denise Turner Roth makes about $165,000 a year and she oversees more than 3,000 employees. Guilford County has about 2,300 employees but the manager only oversees about two-thirds of those. The rest work under elected officials such as the sheriff, the register or deeds, or the commissioners, or they work for a department run by a board, such as the Guilford County Department of Public Health.

Also, unlike in Guilford County manager searches in the past, this time some handpicked area business and community leaders will likely play a role in the selection process.

The search report from Springsted states: "We would suggest that the Board identify up to ten (10) business leaders whom we would interview on a one-on-one basis to obtain information from, similar to that obtained from Board members. Information obtained would be reported to the Board and folded into the profile as well."

It is not clear whether editors of weekly newspapers qualify to be in the potential pool of business leaders.

The commissioners also expressed an interest in getting input from county employees and from the community at large, which is one reason the survey is now posted online. In the discussion with the search firm, commissioners asked that the survey be made available in some form to citizens who don't have internet access. However, the clerk to the board's office said the survey is only available online.

In addition to the survey, the report said one commissioner requested that "citizen participation should be obtained during the interview and selection of finalists through a public meeting with the candidates." Usually, when that's done, there's a reception with refreshments held in a county building, and the citizens come out and meet the candidates and then convey their impressions to the commissioners.

Not surprisingly, in the private interviews, many of the responses from commissioners indicated they would like to see a big change in the status quo of Guilford County management. The responses to the firm's questions made it clear that the last thing the commissioners want is another manager constantly embroiled in controversy, or one who's likely to continue damaging the county's relationships with local governments and businesses that have historically been excellent partners.

Fox has been the subject of ongoing and vast criticism for over two years, and she has also been the subject of two investigations – one by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and another by the Internal Revenue Service. Fox's four-year reign as manager has also to a large extent wrecked relations with the City of Greensboro and led to the dissolution of, or to the near end of, several agreements with Greensboro and others that date back many years. Fox has also alienated many county employees as well as Moses Cone Health System officials.

Because of all the scandals and contentiousness over the last two years, several commissioners have said it would be hard in the new search to find a worse county manager. Three months ago, Commissioner Paul Gibson said one could simply go into an airport and "pick the first 200 people" and all of those people would likely be a better county manager than Fox.

It's evident in the search company's interview that the commissioners want a manager drastically different than Fox. The board is specifically asking for a manager who'll work with the entire board openly and fairly, keep the commissioners fully informed and nurture the important relationships that Guilford County hopes to maintain.

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One question asked in the interviews was, "What are the most important qualities (ethical, approachable, proactive, etc.) we should look for in Guilford County's next Manager?"

One commissioner answered "ethical and honest with a high level of integrity," while others said the county needs someone who is "a strong relationship builder," "a collaborator," and a manager who is "open, candid and trustworthy."

The commissioners also said they're looking for someone who would be "compassionate in dealing with others," as well as "an individual with a strong backbone who is thick-skinned and able to accept criticism gracefully."

Several county commissioners say it's also important to find a manager who connects well with the community at large.

"As a leader" the report summarized, "they must demonstrate that they are comfortable with themselves and the job as a professional" and are "willing to engage the community."

Many board members said they want a manager who has private-sector job experience, and the report cited a strong preference for someone with "a proven record in promoting economic development."

Given the tremendous damage to many of Guilford County's relationships during Fox's rule, it's no surprise the report states, "It was the consensus of the Board members that the new County Manager also needed to be more visible and interactive with other municipalities in the County and that communications and partnerships needed to be enhanced, particularly with the Cities of Greensboro and High Point."

One summary passage in particular in Springsted's report seemed to point clearly to the fact that the manager the board is now looking for is the opposite of Fox.

It states, "It was recognized that the new Manager needed to be more visible to staff and in a manner that continued to encourage performance at a high level, particularly in the face of budgeting challenges. It was the consensus of the Board members that the new County Manager also needed to be more visible and interactive with other municipalities in the County and that communications and partnerships needed to be enhanced, particularly with the Cities of Greensboro and High Point."

"Finally," the report continues, "it was recognized that the new County Manager, while needing to be more visible in the community, needed to balance their efforts to be visible in a manner which complemented the responsibilities of the Board and their role as elected officials; not getting out in front of the Board, but learning what the community needed and being identified as part of the Guilford 'team.'"

In the interviews, commissioners were asked what they believe are the most important issues the next Guilford County manager will face in the next three to five years. Those answers offered a mental snapshot of the commissioners' priorities.

Key areas of concern for the commissioners ­– and therefore, hopefully, for the next county manager as well – were the upcoming county budgets, and finding new ways to address "the challenge of funding programs and new debt service with a minimum impact on the taxpayer."

Other priorities for commissioners were "developing a strong, more realistic Capital Improvements Plan [CIP]" and designing "a well-planned strategy to expand economic development and create jobs."

The commissioners also wanted to know how the next manager would deal with the county's Prison Farm near Gibsonville, which many county officials hope to develop into a corporate park despite strong resistance from residents in the area.

In another category, Fox has received a lot of criticism behind the scenes from county employees – and the commissioners clearly want the next manager to have a better relationship with the county's 2,300 workers.

To that end, the report suggests finding someone who will be successful at "Examining the County's current management structure and building a strong sense of teamwork among County departments" as well as "working with a new Board and learning the dynamics and focus of a new governing body getting to know and building relationships with the current and new Commissioners and those involved in Guilford's governmental process, including representatives of the County's municipalities."

There seems to be a strong desire to eliminate "favoritism" for certain staff and commissioners and instead have the next manager be responsive to all commissioners and citizens.

Over the last two years, much of Guilford County government has been run almost entirely by Fox and Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Skip Alston – while other commissioners have constantly complained about being left out of the loop. One commissioner said they wanted the next manager to share information equally among all of the commissioners.

Several commissioners expressed a desire for a manager "who brought no 'baggage' or ethical issues with them from their prior positions."

The commissioners also said they would like a manager with "vision."

Commissioner Carolyn Coleman frequently points to the fact that, in the '70s, Guilford County was considered a role model for other counties in the state. Many commissioners told the search firm that they would like to see Guilford County return to that elevated status.

"Many Board members," the report states, "were hopeful that the new County Manager would be able to take the County to the 'next level' of management and that, as the third largest County in the state, the County would be looked to as a progressive well-managed county."

As for educational requirements, the commissioners want the next manager to have at least a bachelor's degree, with a master's degree preferred, and the report states there's a consensus for someone with "a strong educational emphasis in public administration, finance and economic development."

In the county's online survey for citizens, there are plenty of questions that allow for extended comments.

One question on the survey asks responders to rank their preferred types of candidates.

Choices include the "up and coming" manager, who has experience for the job but has never been a county manager before, the "non-traditional candidate," and the "seasoned veteran who has been a successful County Manager."

Other choices include a "well grounded" manager who is familiar with Guilford County and the key players in county government, and the "technician" who can "recite North Carolina state laws and regulations front and back and has a strong background in municipal operations." That person, the survey states, "may lack warm and fuzzy qualities."

Citizens who wish to take the survey have until midnight, Thursday, Oct. 25 to do so.