Willmar City Council to hold in-person interviews with two finalists

Shelby Lindrud, West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn.
·2 min read

May 7—WILLMAR — The Willmar City Council will be bringing back two of the four city administrator candidates for in-person interviews next week.

The council discussed and chose the two candidates during a special remote meeting on Thursday. The decision was made two days after holding remote interviews with the four finalists chosen early last week.

"We have a tremendous opportunity before us," said Willmar Mayor Marv Calvin.

The top two finalists were Tyler Brooks and Dana Schoening.

Brooks is currently an officer in the United States Air Force with years of experience working as a commander in multiple operations units. He is stationed in South Daytona, Florida.

According to his resume, Brooks has managed more than $250 million in federal assets at one time, developed and managed significant budgets, improved communications, guided more than 50 different projects worth more than $500 million and has managed 10 department directors and 166 employees at one time.

Schoening is the director of planning and operations for Sweetwater, Texas, and has held similar positions in other cities. He currently lives in Wichita Falls, Texas.

In his various development positions, Schoening has worked on downtown and neighborhood revitalization projects, ordinance amendments, removal of substandard structures and restructured department staff to improve capabilities, according to his resume.

The other two candidates not chosen to move forward in the process were Guy Scaife, of Bettendorf, Iowa, most recently the town manager of Thetford, Vermont; and Robert J. Wolfington Jr. of Benson, the current city manager of Benson.

While the schedule for the interviews is still being worked out, the goal is to have the finalists in Willmar next Thursday, May 13. In addition to the actual interviews, there will also be opportunities for the finalists to meet staff, community leaders and members of the public.

Willmar is searching for its next administrator due to the upcoming retirement of current administrator Brian Gramentz., who will be leaving the city in early June.