Portsmouth City Manager Search Process Narrowed to Three Finalists

PORTSMOUTH NH -- With the upcoming retirement of City Manager John Bohenko at the end of December 2019, the city began an active search for a qualified candidate to take his place and hired the specialist GovHR USA in June to help with recruitment.  The Portsmouth City Council has conducted preliminary interviews for the position of City Manager. The City received 54 applications for the position, from 23 states. The City Council considered the credentials of eleven candidates before deciding on interviewing six individuals in the first round. As a result of those interviews, three individuals have been named as finalists.

Karen Sawyer Conard, currently Executive Director of the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, one of thirteen Regional Planning Agencies in Massachusetts. Ms. Conard has 28 years of experience in the public sector and spent 11 years as Community Development and Planning Director for the medium-sized cities of Methuen and Peabody, Massachusetts. She is President of the Board of Housing Support, Inc., a non-profit corporation with a mission to provide housing and related support services to low-income, homeless and/or handicapped individuals and families.

Karl R. Kilduff, most recently Executive Director for the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority. Mr. Kilduff has over 20 years of public-sector management experience leading diverse organizations at both the state and local level in Connecticut, serving as Town Manager in North Branford and Town Administrator in Darien.  He served as President of the Connecticut Town and City Management Association and is a member of the International City/County Management Association.

Christopher Parker, since 2014 the Assistant City Manager: Director of Planning and Strategic Initiatives for the City of Dover New Hampshire. Mr. Parker has over 20 years of municipal experience having served in various capacities with the City of Dover, NH since 1997. He has served in the Community Services (AKA Public Works) and Planning Departments, since 2007. He was named the professional planner of the year for both the State of New Hampshire and Northern New England in 2011.

The public has an opportunity to “Meet and Greet” the finalists on October 8th at 7 pm in City Council Chambers.  On October 9th, the City Council will conduct second interviews with the finalists in public session on October 9th, in Council Chambers, at 5:30 pm.

If you have any specific questions about the recruitment please call our consultant Joellen Cademartori at 224-545-4333.