Perrysburg: 7 named finalists for city administrator

10/20/2004

Perrysburg officials have selected seven candidates as finalists for the city administrator position.

The city received about 70 applicants and conducted a dozen telephone interviews before narrowing the field to seven, said Kelly Louderback, the city's human resources manager.

Pete Gwyn, the city's law director, has been interim city administrator since Oct. 1, when former administrator Jim Bagdonas resigned. Mr. Bagdonas left the position after negotiating a settlement with City Council to pay him $1,867 weekly for 35 weeks after he leaves.

City records show that several council members had concerns about his performance, but Mayor Jody Holbrook said he was doing a good job. Mr. Bagdonas became administrator in 2000; he was safety service director for many years before that.

Background checks will take a few weeks to complete, Ms. Louderback said. A committee including some council members, Mayor Holbrook, Ms. Louderback, and Mr. Gwyn will likely interview the candidates.

The finalists are:

●Greg Bieszczad of Poggemeyer Design Group;

●Jon Eckel, deputy service director of Perrysburg;

●Pete Gozza, president and CEO of Downtown Toledo, Inc.;

●Jim Koshmider, who recently stepped down as safety-service director of Mt. Healthy, Ohio;

●Dennis Redmond, who recently resigned as city administrator of North Palm Beach, Fla.;

●Joe Rutherford, public information officer for the Ohio Department of Transportation;

●Ken Sauer, village administrator of North Baltimore, Ohio.