MUSKEGON, MI – The current interim city manager for Muskegon and a former director of its downtown development organization are among six candidates interviewing to be the city’s next manager.
Interim City Manager LeighAnn Mikesell and Jonathan Seyferth, currently the Gaines Township manager, are the only candidates from Michigan among the field that will be interviewed this week.
The Muskegon City Commission is hiring someone to replace Frank Peterson, who resigned as city manager on April 1 to pursue opportunities in the private development sector.
Those chosen for interviews were among 16 who applied for the position.
Interviews of all six candidates will be Friday, Sept. 16, in the commission chambers at city hall, 933 Terrace Street. The public is invited to attend the interviews, which will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Members of the public also can meet the candidates Thursday, Sept. 15, during a free 1 ½ hour cruise starting at 11:30 a.m. aboard the Aquastar, which docks at the Mart Dock, 560 Mart Street. Tickets, which are limited to two per person, are available at www.aquastarcruises.com or by calling the city clerk’s office at (231) 724-6705.
Follows are backgrounds provided by the candidates, who are listed in alphabetical order:
Dennis Durham, city administrator of Windsor, Iowa, for the past two years. He previously served as city manager of Carlton, Oregon, for two years and city manager of Parchment in Michigan for 10 years. He also has experience in the city of Kalamazoo, serving as deputy city manager for two years and assistant city manager for one year. He also was assistant city manager in Portage for six years.
Durham has a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and completed a year of graduate level business administration study at the University of Colorado at Denver and a year of graduate level study in public administration at Western Michigan University.
Jerry Gabrielatos, city manager of West Linn, Oregon, for the past two years. He previously was assistant city manager, as well as interim city manager, in Albert Lea, Minnesota. In Chicago, he served in several roles for the city council, including senior advisor for the 1st Ward for one year, chief of staff for the 45th Ward for one year and director of constituent services for the 1st Ward for four years.
Gabrielatos has a master’s degree in public policy and administration from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Tulane University.
LeighAnn Mikesell, who is interim city manager in Muskegon and previously served as deputy city manager since July 2021. Other roles she’s held with the city are director of developmental services for two years and director of municipal services from November 2017 to February 2019. She previously worked as an operations manager for the Michigan Department of Transportation for 15 years.
Mikesell has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Michigan.
Joe Neeb, city manager of Roswell, New Mexico, for the past five years. He previously served as city administrator for Spearfish, South Dakota, for seven years; town manager of Dyer, Indiana, for six years; town manager of Fortville, Indiana, for four years; and town manager of Morristown, Indiana, for three years.
Neeb has master’s and bachelor’s degrees in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Jonathan Seyferth, who has been the township manager for Gaines Township since May 2021. He previously served three years as city manager for Coopersville where he also worked as assistant city manager for 2 ½ years. For two years, he was executive director of Downtown Muskegon Now where he also worked as business development manager for two years.
Seyferth has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver and a master’s degree in international administration from Central Michigan University from which he also holds a bachelor’s degree.
Gerald C. Smith, city manager of Creedmoor, North Carolina, since March 2021. He previously served as city manager in Maquoketa, Iowa, for four years; city manager of Junction City, Kansas, for one year; and director of general services for Kansas City, Missouri, for six years.
Smith has a master’s degree in public administration from Northern Illinois University and a bachelor’s degree in urban history and political science from Elmhurst College.
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