city manager - WKTV Journal

Jen DeHaan

John McCarter

Mark Meyers

John Shay

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor
joanne@wktv.org

This Thursday and Saturday, Wyoming City officials will be interviewing four candidates for the city manager position.

About 48 municipal leaders from around the country applied for the position following the retirement of former City Manager Curtis Holt in February after 27 years of service. The City Council narrowed the number down to four for interviews.

The City Council will host those candidate interviews Thursday, April 13, from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, April 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW, in the Council Chambers.

Candidates for the position include:

Jen DeHaan

Jen DeHaan, who currently serves as the assistant township manager/superintendent of Plainfield Charter Township and as the executive director of the Kent County Dispatch Authority both since 2018. DeHaan also has prior experience in Michigan serving as deputy county administrator for Grand Traverse County and as a management analyst for Kent County. DeHaan started her career as an intern for the City of Wyoming.

John McCarter

John McCarter, who currently serves as interim city manager for the City of Wyoming. McCarter has served as Wyoming’s deputy city manager since March 2021. Prior to that, he served in several roles as interim finance director, assistant finance director and budget and procurement manager for the City of Pearland, Texas. Prior Michigan experience also includes serving as a management analyst for the City of Novi.

Mark Meyers

Mark Meyers, who currently serves as the city administrator for the City of Norton Shores since May 2004. Prior to that, he served as the director of administrative services/assistant to the city administrator since beginning work in Norton Shores in 1995. Meyers also worked in Michigan as an assistant city manager for the City of Grand Haven from March 1992 to May 1995.

John Shay

John Shay, who most recently served as county administrator for Ottawa County from August 2021 to January 2023. Shay also served as deputy county administrator from July 2018 to August 2021. Additional Michigan experience includes serving the City of Ludington as city manager from February 2003 to July 2018, and prior to that was the village manager of Almont from August 1998 to January 2003.

Baker Tilly, an executive recruitment firm, is overseeing the search process. Baker Tilly has provided candidate application materials to the city manager search subcommittee comprised of Mayor Kent Vanderwood, Mayor Pro-Tem Rob Postema and 2nd Ward Councilmember Marissa Postler.

The Council hopes to fill the position based on the interviews held on April 13 and 15. Candidates’ resumes are available upon request. Interviews are open to the public.

The City Council hopes to have a new city manager selected and an employment agreement approved by the end of May 2023.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor
joanne@wktv.org

At Monday night’s Wyoming City Council meeting Mayor Pro Tem Sam Bolt announced that the city’s long-time city manager will be retiring.

At the Wyoming City Council meeting, it was announced that Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt will be retiring in the winter. (WKTV

Reading from a prepared statement, Bolt announced after a career of public service of more than three decades, City Manager Curtis Holt announced that he will retire from his role this winter.

“Curtis has served as City Manger in Wyoming for more than 26 years and has fostered a culture of strong community service and fiscal responsibility,” Bolt said.

Curtis joined the Wyoming city staff in 1996 as the deputy city manager and was named as Wyoming’s city manager in 2000. Before coming to Wyoming, he was the city manager of Otsego from 1989 to 1996, and assistant city manager of Cedar Springs from 1987 to 1989.

According to Holt’s bio on the City of Wyoming’s website, he also serves as a board member of the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority, and is chair of the Greenstone Insurance, which is a captive held by the MMRMA. He is a board member and past chair of the Regional Geographical Information Service (REGIS) agency of the Grand Valley Metro Council, and is vice-chair of the Grand Valley Regional Biosolids Authority. He is the past chairperson of the Kent County Dispatch Authority and a past commissioner of the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

Bolt said he would be working closely with Mayor-elect Kent Vanderwood and council members to deliver a process to fill the position and that information on the next steps will be shared in the coming months.

“Thank you very much for your commitment to the City of Wyoming, our staff and community members,” Bolt said. “We’re excited for your next steps.”