County identifies finalists in Garfield County Manager search

Community reception planned Friday, November 20

PRESS RELEASE
November 12, 2015

GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – Garfield County has selected three candidates to interview for the open Garfield County Manager position, and will host a reception for the candidates to meet the community on Friday, November 20.

The finalists are:

  • Kevin Batchelder, acting county manager and deputy county manager, Garfield County
  • Joseph Kerby, county manager, La Plata County, Colorado
  • Tim Boyde, director of administrative services/chief clerk, Centre County, Pennsylvania

Kevin Batchelder has more than 26 years of local government administration experience, and was hired as the Garfield County Deputy County Manager in April, 2014. He previously served as the town manager for Silverthorne, CO, for 13 years, overseeing 186 full and part time employees in a town of 4,100 residents. Kevin also held positions as city administrator and administrative assistant to the city administrator in Mendota Heights, MN. Kevin earned a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Minnesota, and a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Colorado State University. He is an International City/County Management Association (ICMA) credentialed manager.

Joe Kerby is currently the county manager of La Plata County, which has 52,000 citizens and 1,800 square miles. Joe’s experience in local government spans more than 30 years, starting with a 20-year stint with the City of Colorado Springs, where he held a variety of positions in the utility, finance and information technology departments. He has also held city manager positions in Delta, CO, and Neodesha and Iola, KS. Joe has a master’s degree in business/computer resource management from Webster University in St. Louis, MO, and a bachelor of arts degree in sociology/gerontology from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs.

Tim Boyde has achieved more than 12 years of experience as a county administrator in two states, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and 27 years in local government. As the current Director of Administrative Services/Chief Clerk for Centre County, PA, Tim manages the day-to-day operations of a County of 153,000 residents and 1,100 square miles. His background also includes extensive experience and expertise in mental health services. Tim holds Federal Emergency Management Agency and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency certifications in incident command and management, and public information management. Tim received his master’s degree in liberal arts from Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania, and a bachelor of science degree in education from Salem College in North Carolina.

The Garfield County Manager position requires a bachelor’s degree, and an advanced degree is preferred. The position also requires seven years or more of progressively responsible experience in local government management. All of these candidates met both of these essential criteria.

This round of the hiring process will include two days of interviews. The first day, Thursday, November 19, the candidates will interview with the Garfield County elected officials (not including the commissioners), county attorney and staff, and the county’s management team only.

The following day, Friday, November 20, the candidates will interview with the board of commissioners in an executive session, and Kerby and Boyde will participate in a drive around the county to view county facilities.

The community is invited to meet the candidates at a public reception Friday night, and light refreshments will be served. The applicants will deliver a brief presentation and then visit with attendees at the Hotel Colorado from 5-7 pm.