Four finalists have been selected for the new City Manager Position at the City of SeaTac.
Residents and business owners will have an opportunity to meet and ask questions of the final four candidates at a public
Open House on Wednesday, August 8, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the SeaTac Community Center, located at 13735 24th
Ave. S., SeaTac, WA 98168.
The new City Manager will be replacing current City Manager Joseph Scorcio who is retiring at the end of the year after
spending nearly six years with the City of SeaTac including time as the Community and Economic Development Director.
The search for a new City Manager began in October of 2017. Since the process began, SeaTac conducted a national
search, which led to an initial 43 candidates. In mid-July, the City Council interviewed the top candidates and narrowed the
list to a final four.
The finalist are in alphabetical order:
Christopher J. Dennis is a senior executive having recently retired from the U.S. Navy at the rank of Captain. Chris is from New Smyrna Beach, Fla, is a graduate of Auburn University, and has a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. Highlighting nearly three decades of afloat and ashore service, Chris served as the Commanding Officer of: Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, Italy; Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light FOUR SIX; and the University of Michigan Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps.
J. David Fraser, a Senior Associate with Municipal Solutions, has 23 years of management experience, including management positions in four cities. He served as the City Manager of Boulder City, Nevada; City Manager of Buchanan Michigan; City Administrator of Beloit, Kansas; Town Administrator of Milliken, Colorado; and in staff positions at the cities of Provo and Mapleton, Utah. He served for nine years as the Executive Director of the Nevada League of Cities and has served on a variety of prestigious boards, including the Board of Directors of the National League of Cities and the Government Affairs Committee of the International City Managers Association. Mr. Fraser holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Brigham Young University in Political Science and Public Administration and is a certified Economic Development Finance Professional.
Sungman Kim has 28 years of practical experience in community planning and development. He achieved a PhD with a thesis on urban planning, a Master of Business Administration, and a Master of Landscape Architecture. In practice, he has become a certified planner (AICP), a professional landscape architect (PLA), a senior professional in human resources (SPHR), and a certified GIS professional (GISP). Previously he served the City of South Padre Island, Texas, as director of development services; Clay County Board of County Commissioners, Florida, as chief planner; the City of Deltona, Florida, as planning manager; and the Community Design Assistance Center at Virginia Tech University, as a visiting professor.
Bonnie Therrien born and raised in New England, candidate Bonnie Therrien has worked in local government management for over 30 years. She has served as an Assistant and Deputy Manager in Connecticut and North Carolina, as well as Town Manager and City Administrator in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Missouri. In addition, she served as Deputy City Manager of Hartford, Connecticut; first Town Manager of Berlin, Connecticut; and manager positions in Wethersfield and Hebron, Connecticut. Her last position was as City Administrator in O’Fallon, Missouri. Ms. Therrien has two master’s degrees, in Public Administration and Criminal Justice, all from American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts.
On August 8 and 9, 2018, the four candidates will be in SeaTac for a two-day visit. During the trip, candidates will tour the City to learn more about the residents, businesses and issues facing SeaTac. In addition to the Public Open House, the candidates will have an opportunity to meet with City leadership and staff. Also, the City Council will conduct a final interview of the candidates. The City Council will publicly discuss and may decide on the new City Manager at its regular council meeting at 6 p.m. on August 14 at City Hall located at 4800 South 188th Street, SeaTac, WA 98188.
The new city manager will begin working at SeaTac this fall. This will allow for a transition time and overlap with the current city manager. The City of SeaTac: Incorporated in February 1990, is located approximately midway between the cities of Seattle and Tacoma.
The City of SeaTac is 10 square miles in area and has a population of 29,130. The City is a vibrant community, economically strong, environmentally sensitive, and people-oriented. The city boundaries surround the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, (approximately 3 square miles in area) which is owned and operated by the Port of Seattle.
