Thank you to Kathy O'Brien for her professional response to the
questions on the search for and appointment of a new Finance Officer for
the City of Minneapolis.
All of the people I know and have worked with who have been involved in
this process (Al Giesen, who did the search, Jay Kiedrowski who sat on
the search committee, and Pat Born who was selected) are highly
qualified and capable people of great integrity, and I do not use those
words lightly. I think we're lucky that they're willing to put their
expertise to use for the good of the city.
Catherine Shreves
School Board, Ward 13
List Manager wrote:
>
> Minneapolis Issues list writers and readers:
>
> I though your dialogue on the appointment of a new Finance Officer for the
> City of Minneapolis could be informed by an outline of the search process.
>
> I began the search process to fill the position of Finance Officer when John
> Moir, the incumbent, resigned in August. I hired Al Giesen, Stone, Murphy
> and Olson, an experienced management selection firm, to do the search. I
> appointed a search committee that included:
>
> Jay Kiedrowski who was the first budget director for Minneapolis, budget and
> finance director for the state of Minnesota and currently Executive Vice
> President Institutional Investments at Wells Fargo;
>
> Judith Johnson who holds a law degree and CPA, worked at Coopers and
> Lybrands, as a manager in the State Auditor's office during the term of Arne
> Carlson, as state budget director and currently serves as Executive Director
> of the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund (MERF);
>
> Jim Ufer who is the Chief Finance Officer for Hennepin County.
>
> Each of these individuals is a highly qualified finance professional that
> know the needs of the City of Minneapolis and that volunteered their time
> and expertise to assist me and the City in the recruitment and selection of
> a new Finance Officer. They worked with me to define the position, identify
> and assess candidates and to interview and rank the finalists. Mr. Giesen
> conducted an extension nationwide search of potential candidates through
> advertising and utilizing professional organizations and referrals that
> included phone interviews with close to 200 potential candidates.
>
> Because of the Governor's cap on government salaries in Minnesota, the
> finance director position is less competitive than other comparable
> positions that are currently available. Even with this constraint, Mr.
> Giesen provided the search committee and me a highly qualified pool of four
> candidates; two local and two from outside this region.
>
> After the interview, reference calls, a professional management assessment
> and background check, the search committee and I agreed on the ranking of
> the four candidates. Pat Born was clearly the most qualified and best match
> for the position of City of Minneapolis Finance Officer.
>
> He also happens to live in the city (for 25 years) and be highly committed
> to Minneapolis and returning to the public sector to make a contribution to
> our city.
>
> It is absolutely inaccurate that Mr. Born was hired because of his skills in
> any one area. His expertise in sports arena financing was not discussed
> during his interview nor was it a part of the deliberations regarding his
> selection. Mr. Born is a Senior Vice President and Principal at Evensen
> Dodge, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis. For almost two decades he has
> advised cities and counties across the country on financial management
> issues. His expertise and financial advisory experience spans economic
> development, infrastructure, health care, higher education, housing, sports
> and convention facilities and transportation.
>
> In his early career, he served as Director, Financial Management for the
> Department of Finance, State of Minnesota, as a Legislative Fiscal Analyst
> for the Minnesota Senate and as a Project Administrator for the Minnesota
> Pollution Control Agency. He earned two Master's degrees from the
> University of Minnesota--a M.B.A. and a M.S. in Physiology. His B.A. is
> from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
>
> I work hard as your City Coordinator to recruit the best professionals to
> work for our city government. We are fortunate to have some one of Mr.
> Born's professional stature, experience and expertise working as our city
> Finance Officer.
>
> Kathleen O'Brien
> Kathleen.O'[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Forwarded by David Brauer, list manager, Mpls-issues, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
