County Manager Finalists Announced

Sedgwick County announces the names of the four finalists for the position of county manager:

• Tim Kaufman of Wichita, current director of the Division of Health and Human Services for Sedgwick County. Kaufman has a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in political science, both from Wichita State University.
• Michael Scholes of Fort Belvoir, Va. Scholes served as chief of staff for the Kosovo Forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Pristina, Kosovo from 2014-2015. Scholes has a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pa.; a master’s degree in public administration from Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Ga.; and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from North Georgia College in Dahlonega, Ga.
• Tom Stolz, current director of the Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department for Sedgwick County. Stolz has a master’s degree in administration of justice from Wichita State University and a bachelor’s degree in medical biology from Newman University.
• Ryan Waller, of Glenview, Ill., current assistant county administrator of Lake County, Ill. Waller has a master’s degree in public administration from Northern SEDGWICK COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS 525 N. MAIN SUITE 343 WICHITA, KANSAS 67203-3703 Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill. and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa.

Following the retirement announcement of former county manager Bill Buchanan, Sedgwick County began recruitment efforts for a new manager. In February 2015, the County hired S. Renee Narloch & Associates as the consulting firm in the search process. Working with the firm, Sedgwick County developed the position description from February to April, placed local and national advertisements in May, and then closed recruitment on June 12.

From a total of 85 applicants, the consulting firm presented the Board of Sedgwick County Commissioners with eight candidates. On June 29, after discussion between commissioners and the firm, six people were agreed upon for interviews. These six candidates were interviewed by commissioners as a group in executive session on July 23 and in one-on-one interviews with each commissioner on July 24. The four finalists for the position were selected following these two days of interviews.

Each finalist will be interviewed by external and internal panels on either Aug. 17 or 18. Commissioners will again meet one-on-one with each candidate on Aug. 18 or Aug. 19. Commissioners will meet in executive session on Aug. 18 or Aug. 19 to determine the next steps in the hiring process.