Berkley to hold meet and greet with city manager candidates

BERKLEY — The city of Berkley will be holding a gathering for residents to meet the candidates for city manager.

Berkley will hold a meet and greet with residents from 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, in the Public Safety Department’s garage, 2395 12 Mile Road.

Residents can meet with the four candidates hoping to become Berkley’s next city manager and ask questions about how they would help run the city.

“The main important thing is just this opportunity for our community to come and meet the candidates and hear about their vision and start to get to know them a little bit,” Berkley Director of Communications Caitlin Flora said.

The four candidates are M. Jon Dean, chief of human resources at Veterinary United; Mohamed “Moe” Ayoub, planning director for the city of Westland; Khalfani Stephens, deputy mayor for the city of Pontiac; and Crystal VanVleck, deputy city manager of community services for Oak Park.

According to a news release, Berkley conducted a survey with community members to identify the “desired qualities” of its next city manager. Those qualities included strong leadership; being an effective communicator; financial acumen; being community oriented; and innovative and forward thinking.

“I’m anticipating that since residents all spoke to wanting all of (these qualities) in the candidates, they’ll be asking questions that kind of relate to that,” Flora said. “I think some big questions will come around the financial acumen portion. I think people will be really interested to learn what the candidate’s financial experience is.”

Following the meet and greet, a special City Council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 3338 Coolidge Highway, where individual interviews will be conducted with the candidates.

“In a city manager form of government, which is what we have in Berkley, the city manager is running the departments, that person has seven bosses (on the City Council), if you will. … If you’re looking at a strategic plan, I think it’s critically important to have departments and staff and council moving in the same direction, and then the city manager will be directing from that,” Mayor Bridget Dean said.

Dean spoke about the relationship between the city manager and the mayor.

“I just feel like the mayor and the city manager have to have trust and good communication and to be able to have difficult conversations, and ultimately the goal is what’s best for the city of Berkley, and that’s what I’m looking for,” Dean said.

Berkley is expected to select the next city manager at a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7, at City Hall.