City Manager Search Process Continues with Candidate Interviews

Date of Release: 
June 17, 2021

Date of release:  June 17, 2021

The search process for Paducah’s next city manager moves forward today and Friday with visits to Paducah by four candidates.  Each candidate will have the opportunity to tour the City and participate in interviews with the Paducah Board of Commissioners, City Manager’s office, City’s Leadership Team, and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Community Panel. 

In January, City Manager Jim Arndt announced his plans to move back home to Illinois to be closer to family and to open a business providing local government management consulting.  Recently, the Board extended Arndt’s employment contract through July 31.  Over the past few months, the City has been working with GovHR USA to conduct a national search for the recruitment and selection of Paducah’s next city manager.  GovHR USA accepted applications through May 7.

Mayor George P. Bray said, “The recruitment process has generated an exceptional number of quality candidates.  After interviewing these finalists through virtual meetings, the entire City Commission is looking forward to learning more about each candidate through in-depth, face-to-face interviews.  I am extremely pleased with how the search is progressing.”

The four candidates under consideration to serve as Paducah’s next city manager are as follows (in alphabetical order):

  • Shane Horn, City Manager of Lakeland, Tennessee
  • Daron Jordan, City Manager of Paris, Kentucky
  • Trent Lovett, Superintendent (retiring) of Marshall County School District (Kentucky)
  • Todd Thompson, City Manager of Galesburg, Illinois

GovHR USA received nearly 50 applications for Paducah’s city manager position.

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