Palm Bay Advances Search for Next City Manager: Our Five Strongest Candidates Identified
Community Encouraged to Engage as Selection Enters Critical Phase
Palm Bay, FL — After months of careful evaluation, Palm Bay is moving closer to selecting its next city manager, narrowing a highly competitive field of 114 applicants to a shortlist of top contenders. The City Council is expected to select a final group of candidates for interviews, ensuring that only the most qualified individuals move forward in the process. The selection process has been rigorous, ensuring that only the most qualified individuals remain under consideration. After thorough analysis of the candidates’ credentials, experience, and alignment with Palm Bay’s needs, we have identified the five strongest candidates for the position. This selection is based on their proven track records in municipal management, financial oversight, ethical leadership, and ability to tackle the city’s pressing challenges.
Why Palm Bay is Searching for a New City Manager
Palm Bay’s council-manager form of government places significant responsibility in the hands of its city manager. Following the City Council’s dismissal of former manager Suzanne Sherman in November 2024, city officials quickly initiated an extensive recruitment process to identify a strong and stable leader.
This role is essential for bridging the gap between the policy decisions made by the elected council and their implementation throughout the city departments. The chosen candidate will manage critical daily operations, influence major capital projects, and steer Palm Bay’s strategic direction.
Key Local Issues Awaiting the New Manager
Palm Bay residents have repeatedly voiced several key concerns:
Traffic and Infrastructure: Managing traffic congestion, ensuring effective road maintenance, and enhancing pedestrian safety—especially in school zones.
Crime and Community Safety: Addressing community policing initiatives and enhancing neighborhood security.
Fiscal Responsibility: Ensuring transparent and responsible financial stewardship to manage taxpayer funds effectively.
Government Transparency: Ensuring accountability in decision-making processes to restore trust in local governance.
Sustainable Growth: Managing the city’s expanding population and development while preserving community character.
Clearly, whoever steps into this vital role must possess extensive experience and proven capabilities in addressing such complex community concerns. Over recent years, Palm Bay has seen rapid growth, placing increasing pressure on infrastructure, public services, and financial management. Crime rates have fluctuated, prompting renewed focus on public safety, while residents have called for greater transparency and ethical governance following previous controversies. These evolving challenges underscore the urgency of selecting a city manager with the vision and expertise to navigate Palm Bay’s future effectively.
Rigorous Selection Process Ensures High-Quality Candidates
The Palm Bay City Council began its search by approving a detailed recruitment plan on December 19, 2024. By February 28, 2025, the City received a notable 114 applications, signifying strong national interest.
To streamline this process, the City Council enlisted support from two seasoned advisors from the Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA): Ken Parker and Tom Harmer. On March 7, these veteran public administrators reviewed all applications, placing candidates into three categories:
Highly Qualified: 16 applicants closely aligned with Palm Bay’s stated requirements.
Moderately Qualified: 16 applicants meeting some of the essential qualifications.
Less Qualified: 81 applicants who did not sufficiently match job criteria.
A pivotal public meeting on March 20, 2025, will see each council member individually identify their top five choices, shaping the shortlist for the final stage—candidate interviews.
How We Established Palm Bay’s Needs and Evaluated Candidates
To determine the five strongest candidates, we followed a structured methodology rooted in the city’s most pressing needs and the selection criteria set by the City Council. Our assessment was limited to the 16 highly qualified individuals identified by the FCCMA senior advisors. We did not evaluate the moderately qualified candidates, as our goal was to highlight those whose experience and credentials most closely align with Palm Bay’s immediate priorities and long-term strategic vision. Our approach incorporated:
City Council’s Recruitment Goals: Public statements, official job postings, and council meeting discussions provided clear guidance on the essential qualities sought in the next city manager. The council prioritized fiscal responsibility, ethical governance, community engagement, and public safety.
Community-Identified Needs: We analyzed resident feedback from council meetings, public forums, and surveys to understand the top concerns voiced by Palm Bay’s citizens. Infrastructure improvements, crime reduction, and government transparency emerged as dominant themes.
Candidate Credentials & Experience: Drawing from publicly available resumes, professional backgrounds, and references, we assessed each applicant’s municipal leadership experience, budget oversight expertise, crisis management skills, and community relations track record.
Alignment with Palm Bay’s Growth and Challenges: Given Palm Bay’s ongoing expansion, candidates with experience in sustainable development, infrastructure planning, and strategic governance were given particular weight in the evaluation.
The Five Strongest Candidates (Listed Alphabetically)
These individuals stand out from the 16 "highly qualified" applicants and represent the best combination of experience, leadership skills, and alignment with Palm Bay’s priorities:
1. Sonia Alves-Viveiros
Extensive experience in human resources, labor relations, and municipal leadership.
Known for fostering positive workplace cultures and strengthening city staff morale.
Track record in streamlining municipal operations to improve efficiency and accountability.
Why She Stands Out: Alves-Viveiros brings the ability to unify city staff after a turbulent leadership change and has a strong background in personnel management, a critical need in Palm Bay’s municipal workforce.
2. Troy Bell
Deep expertise in public safety initiatives, including successful community policing programs.
Strong record of securing funding and fostering partnerships with state and federal agencies.
Notable work in implementing data-driven solutions to enhance municipal decision-making and transparency.
Why He Stands Out: Bell’s experience in crime prevention and community safety directly aligns with Palm Bay’s most pressing resident concerns. His ability to secure external funding could also benefit the city’s budget.
3. Shawn Boyle
Highly respected for his innovative financial management strategies and budgeting expertise.
Strong advocate for incorporating technology to modernize city services and improve efficiency.
Reputation for fostering morale and accountability within city departments, ensuring smooth operations.
Why He Stands Out: Boyle’s fiscal responsibility and experience in streamlining city operations make him an asset for a city managing rapid growth and infrastructure needs.
4. Howard Brown
Extensive background in municipal infrastructure management, including overseeing road and stormwater projects.
Proven track record in leading mid-sized cities through growth and development challenges.
Committed to government transparency and community involvement in city planning.
Why He Stands Out: Brown’s infrastructure expertise and ability to manage complex projects make him particularly valuable as Palm Bay tackles much-needed road and stormwater improvements.
5. Thomas Thomas
Strong experience in ethical governance and conflict resolution.
Known for successfully managing municipalities through leadership transitions and political challenges.
Skilled in uniting divided councils and community stakeholders through diplomacy.
Why He Stands Out: Thomas is an ideal candidate to restore public trust, stabilize city leadership, and ensure long-term governance efficiency after Palm Bay’s recent political and administrative turbulence.
What Comes Next?
The next pivotal step in the selection process will occur at a special City Council meeting on March 29, 2025, where the selected finalists will participate in public interviews.
Following these interviews, city staff will conduct comprehensive background checks, ensuring the final choice is fully vetted. The City Council aims to extend a formal job offer at the Regular Council Meeting on April 17, 2025.
How Can Palm Bay Residents Participate?
Palm Bay residents play an essential role in this process:
Attend the Special City Council Meeting on March 29 to hear directly from candidates and witness the selection process.
Provide Public Input: Residents can submit feedback at City Council meetings or through official city communication channels.
Stay Informed by following City Council updates, agendas, and media coverage on the process.
Community engagement ensures transparency and accountability in selecting Palm Bay’s next administrative leader.
Conclusion: A Defining Decision for Palm Bay
Choosing a new city manager is more than just filling a vacancy—it’s about selecting a leader who will shape Palm Bay’s future for years to come. With pressing concerns over infrastructure, public safety, and fiscal management, the right leader must be forward-thinking, ethical, and experienced.
By ensuring transparency, thorough evaluation, and public participation, Palm Bay is on the path to selecting a city manager who will uphold the highest standards of leadership and serve the best interests of its residents.
Curated by AI and fact-checked by The Palm Bayer.
If these 5 are the strongest candidates out of 114, Palm Bay is in trouble. After looking them up, 3 of the 5 keep getting fired. Looks like they do about 1 to 2 years then they're gone. One has worked for a couple of small towns in NJ. The only one that has something going for him retired due to stress and conflict. However, it sounds like the conflict was with the Council who were pro-developers, so that is a plus in my opinion. He was with the City for 12 years. It would be most helpful if their resumes were made available for the citizens to review as well.
OOPS! I didn't see the link for the resumes earlier. Thank you to the Palm Bayer!!