By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff
Sandpoint City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton is among the five finalists for the same job in Tumwater, Wash., according to an April 17 report from The Olympian.
According to the news outlet, Stapleton and the four other finalists for the top job in the city of 26,300 residents south of Olympia, Wash., were in Tumwater for a reception April 18, where they met with the public. Also in attendance were the mayor and city council.
John Doan is the current Tumwater city administrator, in which capacity he has served for 13 years. He announced his retirement in early February, and a position profile and solicitation document from GMP Consultants stated the first review of candidates for his replacement would take place March 12.
Jennifer Stapleton. Courtesy photo.
In a phone interview with the Reader on April 19, Stapleton said, “Tumwater asked me to meet with them — I did. I’m committed to my work here and to Sandpoint and to the city, and I am not actively looking for other positions.
“But I have an obligation, I felt, to meet with another entity and consider opportunities,” she added.
According to a Feb. 10 report from The Olympian, Doan’s retirement will be effective this month. A Tumwater city spokesperson told the Reader in an email that a preferred candidate has yet to be identified and “we do not have a timeline for a decision.”
Tumwater’s mayor and GMP Consultants selected the finalists, which as well as Stapleton includes three candidates from the Tacoma and Olympia areas, and one who currently works in the public sector in Virginia.
According to the position solicitation from GMP Consultants, provided by the city of Tumwater, the position pays between $161,592 and $196,920 per year, depending on background and experience.
Stapleton has served as Sandpoint city administrator since late-2015, her immediate prior position being director of grants management and financial assistance, as well as interim director of community, housing and human services, for the city of Spokane.
She underscored: “I’m committed to the work that I’m doing here currently in Sandpoint.”
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