Search for SCEPI chief continues

The search for a new head of Shawano County Economic Progress, Inc. is continuing into the new year, even though it was expected to be wrapped up before the end of 2019.

A search committee including representatives from the city, county and SCEPI board interviewed six candidates before finally settling on one who was offered the job.

“We had a person selected and accept and notified us last week that they will no longer be taking the position,” said Shawano City Administrator Eddie Sheppard, who is a member of the search committee.

Sheppard said the committee is re-engaging in a search and hopes to have another pool of candidates within a couple of weeks.

“We invited a couple of candidates back from the original recruitment, and our hope is to add a couple more from a new crop,” he said. “We hope to have a mix of previously interviewed candidates that scored high and then adding a couple new and then being able to compare all the candidates together.”

Dennis Heling, who was hired as chief economic development officer in 2013, informed the SCEPI Board of Directors in June of his plans to retire by the end of 2019 or as soon as someone could be named to take his place.

Heling said he will stay on to assist the new chief through the transition.

In the meantime, Heling still on the job at SCEPI, where, he said, it’s still business as usual.

Heling was hired as part of a shakeup of the SCEPI office in 2013, replacing executive director Steve Sengstock.

In August 2013, the city of Shawano and the SCEPI board agreed to a memorandum of understanding outlining the job of a chief economic development officer who would technically be a city employee, but would answer to the SCEPI board of directors and its executive committee.

An oversight committee was also created to make recommendations to the SCEPI board. That committee consists of two representatives each from the city, the county and the SCEPI board.

The agreement called for the chief economic development officer to technically be a city employee so that health, retirement and other benefits could be provided.

According to the agreement, all of the city’s expenses related to the job — including the $85,000 salary — would be reimbursed by SCEPI.

That salary is currently about $86,000.