Council picks top 6 candidates to interview for new city manager

A tabulation of the top 6 candidates for the position of Crossville city manager was discussed by the Crossville city council with plans to start the interviewing process to start as soon as next week.

So far a total of 43 candidates have submitted information to the city seeking the position. The deadline for applicants is Monday January 16.

During the discussion at the council meeting several possibilities were discussed but the motion finally made was that the council will make initial contact with the top candidates through some type of video conferencing. The initial interviews are expected to lead to a second round of interviews that will be in person in Crossville.

Councilman Scot Shanks said he hoped that the council would be able to make a vote on the new city manager at the February council meeting.  

Councilman Scot Shanks, right, leads a discussion on the process to select

the next Crossville city manager.  Also pictured left to right are J. H. Graham, 

Danny Wyatt, Mayor James Mayberry and Pam Harris.

Each council member sent in their top picks and Human Resources manager Leah Crockett tallied the picks into the top 6 candidates

Dennis Sparks of Hopewell Virginia has experience as various city/village managers from 1999 to 2005 in several different states. Sparks is currently a management and aviation consultant as well as a pilot and flight instruction. Sparks has an MBA.

Mark K. Reeter of Bristol VA has 20 years experience as a county administrator in Virginia at Washington Co. followed by Bedford Co. He also served as assistant administrator for Washington Co. before he was named County administrator there. He also has a Masters of Public Administration from UT-Knoxville.

Greg Wood of Baker Florida has a masters of public administration from the University of Florida. From 2013 to 2016 Mr. Wood has served as the county administrator of Harris County Georgia. From 2010 to 2012 he served as the county manager for Jasper County Georgia and from 2007 to 2009 as the county administrator of Holmes Co. Florida and similar experience back to 1984.

Cary Colaianni of Eagle Idaho holds a masters in public administration as well as a Doctor of Jurisprudence (Law degree). Mr. Colaianni has 20 years of experience in municipal government including from 2004 to 2014 as the city attorney and law department director for Bosie Idaho. The department had 51 employees. From 1991 to 2004, he served as the Ada County prosecuting attorney in Bosie Idaho.

Steve Foote of Dunwoody Georgia serves that community as the Director of Economic and Community Development. He has served in that capacity as the employee of a contractor starting in 2014 and now as a direct employee of the city. Previously Foote served as director of planning for Mt. Juliet Tennessee from 2009 to 2014. Foote's education includes a BS in Geography and Biology and graduate work toward an Masters in Geography.

Tina Tuggle of Kingston Tennessee is currently a municipal finance trainer and previously served as the city manager of Oliver Springs Tennessee from June 2012 to November 2014. She also served as Oliver Springs' city recorder from 2010 to 2012. She holds an associate degree in legal science.