Citing his “vast experience,” City Manager Kim Kiefer said Monday that planning consultant Hal Hart will be the next permanent director of the Community Development Department.
Hart, a Bothell, Wash., resident whose resume includes planning and development work at the city, county and state level, was selected from among four finalists invited late last month to participate in a series of exercises and interviews at City Hall.
“We just felt, out of the four finalists, that he rose to the top,” Kiefer said.
Hart said he is “excited” to come to work in Juneau.
“I’m really pumped,” said Hart. “I was really impressed with the staff team, with everybody I met, including the other candidates … but I think what really impressed me was the sense of community I got when I was walking around, talking to local business owners and engaging people in the community.”
Hart won out over Lehi, Utah, planning commissioner Edward James; Juneau resident Katherine Eldemar, a member of Goldbelt, Inc.’s board of directors who briefly served on the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly last year; and Planning Manager Greg Chaney, a longtime CBJ employee who has been acting as CDD director since former director Dale Pernula’s departure in April.
Pernula left Juneau for a job in Mount Vernon, Wash., just an hour’s drive north of Bothell.
Kiefer said the decision to hire Hart should not reflect negatively on Chaney’s work at the CDD or on any of the other candidates.
“It does not diminish both what Greg provides for the department and what others brought to the table,” said Kiefer. “When we looked at it holistically, we felt that Hal was the best fit.”
Kiefer said Hart’s variety of experiences — particularly his work at both the city and county level, considering Juneau’s status as a consolidated city and borough — and obvious enthusiasm about working with staff earned him the nod.
“I think any time you have a variety of experiences in your past, it always gives you a leg up,” Kiefer said.
Hart said his “game plan” is to move to Juneau in late August. Until then, he said, he will be keeping an eye out for a place to live — preferably near a swimming pool, he added.
• Contact reporter Mark D. Miller at 523-2279 or at mark.d.miller@juneauempire.com.
Comments (8)
Add commentShould have hired local
There were two candidates that were local and will probably retire here in Juneau and keep their pensions here in Juneau too. I can bet Mr. Hart will do his time and then move back down south. Local hire is the way to go!
Local vs. Non-Local
While I will always root for the local candidate, the hiring committee must look at the entire portfolio. Knowledge, skills, ability and education do not consider local preference. However, I think there should be weighted consideration for a local hire as we have seen time and again wasted effort and money in supporting candidates that come from out of state as more often than not, out of state hires leave after a short tenure.
I give him one winter before
I give him one winter before he runs south again...
Imagine that you have been
Imagine that you have been working for many years in your chosen profession. You have performed your work at a very high level, have a nice family and nice home, but after a number of years with the same company you decide that you are ready for new professional challenges.
You search nationally for jobs in your field, looking most closely at states that have always appealed to you. Perhaps you have family members in those states. You find a job posting for a position in Juneau Alaska. Alaska in one of those states that has always called to you.
You read the job description and it provides you with the new challenges, perhaps that "next move up" you were hoping for. You do initial research with the company (in this case the CBJ) - salary, benefits, corporate structure, corporate climate. So far so good.
You research the city and the area - recreational opportunities, education, cost of living, cost of housing, other critieria that may be important to you and/or your family - trying to learn as much as you can long distance. What you read tells you that this job, this town, this state may be a very good fit. You eagerly apply for the job - an extensive process of applications, resumes, references, and answers to a lengthy list of written questions related to your experience and thought processes.
The next step is the phone interview. You ace it. You are invited to Juneau for an extensive days-long process of interviews, scenarios, written exercises and oral presentations.
Throughout the entire process in Juneau you walk and explore and read and listen - trying to picture life for you and your family in this new Alaskan city. The more involved with the process you get the more excited you become. This is a nice town. The job provides new opportunities and new challenges, and you get excited at the prospect of being able to contribute in a positive way to this beautiful city that appears to be so welcoming. You are excited that natural wonder is right outside your door. You know that packing up your entire life as it is now and moving to Juneau to start a new life will be challenging and exhausting and stressful, but feel more and more confident that it will all be worth it in the end. That this is a place where you can make a good life for yourself and your family.
The newspaper covers your hiring - announcing that you were the successful candidate. That you successfully ran the gauntlet, made it through the hiring process, and was deemed to be the most qualified applicant. And then you begin to read the comments to the article.............
Its a service we offer, free
Its a service we offer, free of charge
@justme - right on! I'll
@justme - right on! I'll paraphrase - 'Outsiders need not apply...'
It's that inclusive, welcoming Juneau spirit? Not...
Imagine that you have been
Imagine that you have been working for many years in your chosen profession. You have performed your work at a very high level, have a nice family and nice home, but after a number of years with the same company you decide that you are ready for new professional challenges.
Your boss leaves! They put you temporarily in charge! Life is looking up for you! They advertise the position. You make the list! Your wife is starting to plan what to spend that extra money on. You have got to be a shoe in. I mean really! Who else would be as versed in juneaus needs as someone who lives here and has worked in that office. Besides, they trusted you enough to make you the temp in charge. You get interviewed and feel you did really good. Then they hire some guy from Washington who knows what Alaska needs from watching Northern Exposure. You go back to being your old normal self.
Why is it that the guy with paper creds but no local knowledge always seems to win? Dont, worry though. You'll have another chance in a year when he cant take the weather any longer.
I don't agree with most of
I don't agree with most of what kpaw says, but this time I agree whole heartedely. Hire the local gal/guy because ultimately they are the ones who know the community, have the qualifications to do the job and will most likely retire in Juneau and their decendents will follow. I am a 4th generation Juneauite and will retire here with all of my wages made here in Juneau. How many of the "outsiders" who have been hired in local upper positions can say the same. Hire Local!! Esp. because we have qualified local people who are qualified to do the job.