The City of Whitehall announced Monday morning that it has selected six finalists to be the new city manager after a recruitment process led by Double Haul Solutions, which the city contracted with to provide support identifying candidates.
The six finalists are: Cory Isaacs, Ph.D., current postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University; Adam Kline, director of parks, recreation and seniors for Independence Township in Oakland County; Robert Near, Ph.D, owner and CEO of Undaunted Consulting; Brent Raeth, founder and managing partner of CatchMark Technologies; Dustin Stambaugh, city administrator in Fairfax, Iowa; and Daniel Tavernier, Buffalo-based regional director of operations for the U.S. Coast Guard.
The city said that "a talented pool of applicants from across Michigan and the Midwest" put themselves forward for the position. Among the candidates were those with experience in municipal management, economic development, public safety, civic engagement and even military leadership.
The new city manager, once in office, will replace Scott Huebler, who is retiring in August after serving in the position since 2001.
“These finalists reflect our city’s commitment to strong and thoughtful leadership and community service,” Whitehall mayor Steven Salter said in a press release. “We’re looking for a city manager who can honor our small-town values while helping us proactively plan and move our proud community into the future. We look forward to the robust vetting process ahead.”
Double Haul presented candidates to the Whitehall city council in a three-tiered list based on the company's review of the characteristics the city most valued in a city manager candidate. Experience in collaboration, operations, management and community engagement were among the factors the city reviewed in the candidates.
The finalists boast an array of credentials and experience. Isaacs owns several advanced degrees, including a master's and Ph.D. in public administration from Princeton University, a master's of ethics from Yale University and a master's of law from American University. Isaacs is a U.S. Army veteran and served in Afghanistan, managing the Nawbahar district in Zabul Province, and has also been a police officer and an assistant district attorney in Texas.
Kline too is a U.S. Army veteran, having served as an aerial observer and helicopter mechanic. Kline has also worked as a police chief in both Lansing and White Lake townships in Michigan, as well as Oakland Township manager. He graduated from Central Michigan University and has certifications from the FBI National Academy and Northwestern University.
Near is a U.S. Army veteran, serving as an airborne artilleryman in Iraq and Afghanistan. His consulting firm provides strategic growth, fiscal management and performance improvement advice. He's previously been deputy director for the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency and has a Ph.D. from Western Michigan University and a master's of public administration from Penn State University.
Raeth is familiar to White Lake residents through his work at CatchMark, as White Lake Area Chamber & Visitor's Bureau board chair and as Montague school board president. He too is a U.S. Army veteran, having worked in cybersecurity and information management.
Stambaugh has been a city administrator since 2021, serving in Walsenburg, Colorado and Ellsworth, Kansas prior to his current post in Fairfax. Stambaugh owns a master's of public administration from Central Michigan University and is on course to earn a doctorate in the field from California Baptist University later this year.
Tavernier has served in the Coast Guard for nearly 20 years and was appointed regional director of operations in 2022. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Tavernier also owns master's degrees from both the Naval War College and American Military University and several certifications.
The finalists have been invited to a community orientation and engagement welcome session Thursday, June 26 - details are forthcoming - and the council will conduct formal interviews with each finalist during a special meeting Friday, June 27.
"This next step is really about getting to know the candidates as people,” said Whitehall council member Debi Hillebrand in the release. “We’re looking for a city manager who people can trust; someone who listens, brings folks together, and helps us keep growing as a friendly, strong, and future-focused community.”
