02-06-2025
Ottawa County has a candidate pool for administrator, with 30 possible options
OTTAWA COUNTY — The next permanent administrator of Ottawa County has likely already filed an application, since the window closed May 5.
Interim Administrator Gary Rosema gave commissioners an update Tuesday, May 13, along with a schedule of next steps.
The search produced 39 applicants, but nine of those failed meet the minimum qualifications. Double Haul Solutions has already begun pre-vetting qualified applicants in more detail, as well as scheduling preliminary conversations.
According to Rosema, the applicants include city managers, department directors, senior consultants and executives from nationally recognized roles.
'Their expressed interest ... reflects a desire to support effective local government and engage in meaningful public service,' the county wrote in a press release issued Thursday.
The next step is a closed session before or during the next meeting of the Ottawa County Board, slated for Tuesday, May 27, to narrow down the list of applicants. Discussions behind closed doors are meant to protect applicant identities.
On June 4 and 5, the names of the finalists will be made public, as they visit the Fillmore Complex in West Olive and give presentations during an open meeting. The expected date for an offer and contract discussion is sometime in mid-June, with a start date in late July or early August.
— Cassidey Kavathas is the politics and court reporter at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at ckavathas@ Follow her on Twitter @cassideykava.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Rosema: Ottawa County has an official candidate pool for administrator
