PORT TOWNSEND — The Port of Port Townsend commissioners intend to find a permanent replacement for retiring Port Director Larry Crockett themselves rather than hiring a search firm to fill the vacancy.
This means the hiring process must begin immediately to fill the position in time for Crockett’s June 1 retirement.
“We have already decided to not use a professional headhunter and do this in-house,” Crockett said at a nearly two-hour special meeting of commissioners Wednesday meant to discuss and refine the process.
“You don’t want to spend too much time in the search, especially if you want any overlap when I leave.”
Crockett, 68, who has held the director position for 17 years, announced his retirement at a Jan. 13 meeting of the port commissioners.
Crockett said he will hang around for a while to offer advice.
“If it does take a few extra weeks, I’m around, but not to work,” he said.
‘Wonderful opportunity’
Board chair Pete Henke said he is optimistic about the recruitment process.
“We have a wonderful opportunity here to bring someone in who can take us beyond Larry,” Henke said.
“We are looking for someone who can bring diverse groups together in order to work toward a common goal.”
On Wednesday, the commissioners discussed a draft recruitment packet prepared by Crockett that is to be refined, approved by commissioners and then sent to applicants who respond to advertisements in local and regional newspapers as well as industry trade sources.
The ad will be placed March 1 with a March 31 application deadline.
The candidates will be examined through April, at which time an undetermined number of finalists will be selected.
Meet the public
Applicants’ identities will be confidential up to that point, with finalists expected to meet the public and answer questions about their qualifications, knowledge and disposition.
The commissioners will use input from these meetings to make a selection but will not open up the decision process to those outside the commission, Crockett said.
The packet will include a job description, qualifications, an application and questions about experience, management philosophy, fiscal acumen and economic development.
Crockett currently earns $126,000 per year, characterizing himself as one of the highest-paid local public officials but one of the lowest-paid port directors.
Because the advertisement must include a pay range, the commissioners settled on between $115,000 and $140,000 annually to provide some wiggle room.
Crockett said the new director needs to have support from all three port commissioners.
“It’s really uncomfortable for a new director to come on board and know that he or she is not the unanimous choice,” he said.
“They’ll always be looking over their shoulder and won’t be able to do a good job.”
Time of stability
Crockett said he chose the June 1 retirement date because it represented a stable time for the port. There are no elections this year, major projects are under control and the budget process is beginning.
“You would be doing yourself a disservice if you build a job description based on what you like or don’t like about me,” Crockett said.
“You need someone who can move your vision of the port forward but shouldn’t get your hopes up that a knight in shining armor will ride in here as the be-all-and-end-all of all directors. Nobody’s perfect.”
Crockett will assist in managing the search and hiring process but will not have a say in who is selected.
The successful candidate should have an understanding of the community, he said.
“One of my fears is that you hire someone who is very competitive with many skills but really doesn’t know Jefferson County and Port Townsend,” he said.
“The worst thing that can happen is you bring someone in who doesn’t work out and you are sitting here a year from now facing the same decision.”
If a permanent director is not selected before Crockett’s retirement, an interim director could be selected from staff.
Henke said two possibilities are Deputy Port Director Jim Pivarnik or Planning Analyst Eric Toews, neither of whom attended Wednesday’s meeting.
Once the job packet is completed, it will be viewable at www.portofpt.com.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
