OCEAN PINES – The Ocean Pines Association is expected to begin interviewing candidates for general manager next week.
Roughly 10 months after the board of directors voted 4-3 to fire Bob Thompson, who had served as general manager of the association for six years, the board will begin interviews to fill the position. Candidates have been identified through a nationwide search conducted by Novak Consulting Group.
The board met with representatives from the consulting agency in a closed session June 22 to review candidates for the leadership role. According to a news release issued after the meeting, the Novak Consulting Group’s search produced interest from more than 95 candidates from 25 different states.
Board member Doug Parks confirmed this week that the board would be interviewing candidates over two days next week, July 6 and 7. While he would not say how many people the board would be interviewing, Parks said he was satisfied with the candidates the Novak Consulting Group had identified.
Since the board voted to terminate Thompson, board member Brett Hill — elected last August — has served as the association’s acting general manager. Parks said he could not say when a new general manager would be in place at this point.
“That’ll be determined after that meeting (next week),” he said.
When asked if someone would be in place before this summer’s election results were announced in August, he said the board was “working to that end.” Two seats, including the one held by Parks, are up for grabs in the election.
According to the Ocean Pines Association, the general manager is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the seven-member board of directors.
“As the chief administrative officer of the association, the general manager is responsible for the executive management and staffing of the day-to-day operations of the association,” last week’s release reads. “In general, the position supervises all property and business affairs of the association, develops the proposed operating and capital improvements budgets, and oversees expenditure of all funds appropriated for Association purposes.”
Thompson’s termination last August came after criticism of his leadership from several of the 12 candidates in the 2016 election. Less than two weeks after Hill, Slobodan Trendic and Pat Supik were elected, Thompson’s contract — which had been extended in May 2016 for another three years — was terminated.