Royal Oak City Commission to interview 3 finalists for city manager job

ROYAL OAK — The Royal Oak City Commission has selected three finalists to interview for the city manager position.

At 12:30 p.m. Oct. 12, the City Commission will publicly interview Joseph Gacioch, Khalfani Stephens and Erik Tungate at City Hall, 203 S. Troy St.

Each candidate will be interviewed for approximately 75 minutes, according to interim City Manager Mark Wollenweber.

On Sept. 20, the Royal Oak City Commission met in a closed session and selected the finalists. There were 54 applicants to choose from. 

The search process was led by Double Hall Solutions, an executive search and consulting firm hired to assist the city in finding a qualified candidate, according to a press release. 

Double Hall Solutions suggested to the City Commission 12 candidates who had been vetted through a questionnaire and a screening interview. Those 12 candidates were then reviewed by the City Commission.

“Many of those were significantly well-qualified folks, and that, I think, is a reflection of the interest in the position,” Wollenweber said. “I think this is a great place to work.”

The candidates were given questionnaires that included different values, characteristics and skill sets that the City Commission would be looking for in a city manager, according to Wollenweber.

“I thought it was a good process,” Wollenweber said. “So far we have had qualified candidates that they’ve selected from the dozen or so that the consultant felt could be really qualified to do the job.”

The press release states that the city looked for candidates who have skills and qualities in effective communication, financial acumen, the ability to build strong organizational cultures, operational innovation and accountability. 

Gacioch is currently serving as the Ferndale city manager. Gacioch is a credentialed manager under the International City/County Management Association. He is active with the Michigan Municipal Executives, where he serves on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. 

During his tenure as Ferndale's city manager, which began in 2019, Gacioch oversaw the development of the city’s first climate action plan. 

Stephens is a “seasoned government administration professional,” according to the release. He has been serving as the deputy mayor of Pontiac since 2022. 

Stephens has experience at local, county and state levels and has strong community and economic development experience, according to the release. He also holds an economic development finance professional certification, serves on the Michigan Municipal League Board of Trustees and is active in multiple professional and nonprofit organizations. He is also a finalist for the city manager job in Berkley. Berkley plans to interview finalists Oct. 1 and to make a decision Oct. 7.

Tungate is a credentialed city manager through the International City/County Management Association. He is also certified in ‘Leading with Excellence,’ according to the press release.

Tungate has served as the city manager of Oak Park since 2012 and prides himself on being “an exceptional communicator and collaborator with the ability to implement change,” the release states.

Tungate has a human resources senior certified professional certification and was named Public Service Executive of the year by the American Society for Public Administration Detroit Chapter. 

Following the interviews Oct. 12, the City Commission will choose a candidate to be the next city manager in around a week, according to Wollenweber. The candidate will go through a comprehensive background check and reference check, he said. 

“We are fortunate to have attracted such highly qualified professionals to our amazing community,” Royal Oak Mayor Michael Fournier said in the press release. “The City Commission and I are looking forward to a robust process to ensure we find the best candidate to lead our organization and support an elected body focused on developing a new strategic direction built upon community principles.”