Manatee County commissioners seek skill, continuity as administration changes

Manatee County commissioners plan to temporarily appoint deputy county administrator Cheri Coryea to the county's top-level post when Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker retires March 1. Coryea will serve in an interim position as the commission conducts a search for a new administrator.

Coryea has worked for the county for 26 years years and assumed her role as deputy county administrator in December 2017.

Commissioners must amend an existing policy that requires the county's leader to have a bachelor's degree to make Coryea's appointment official.

Coryea said she left school one semester early to care for a family member and never finished her degree, she said. 

"I've been working ever since," she said, noting her experience is a testament to her abilities and noting she is qualified for the deputy administrator role.

The policy change will allow an existing county employee serving in a deputy administrator position to take the administrator post for up to one year. It does not waive the requirement for a permanent administrator to have a college degree.

The board is expected to vote on the policy change and Coryea's appointment at their Feb. 12 meeting.

During their discussions Jan. 22, commissioners were divided about whether a college degree is needed for such a role, with Commissioners Carol Whitmore, Reggie Bellamy and Priscilla Whisenant Trace noting experience is often the best education.

"The experience you gather as a person doing a job... is also worth consideration," Trace said. "My son didn't go to college and he's running the business better than I ever did (with a degree)."

Bellamy said: "My concern about the college level is not at a high level. My concern is job performance and having the ability to keep the team together."

Commissioners Vanessa Baugh, Steve Jonsson and Misty Servia said they preferred having a degree for the top-level post.

Baugh encouraged Coryea to finish her degree so she could apply for the full-time post. She said she supports Coryea and believes she can do the administrator job, but was not willing to remove the educational requirement from the county's policy.

"Basically what we’re doing is we’re lowering our standards. I think that is very important for a county administrator (to have college degree)," Baugh said. "The administrator is the top position. This is coming from a business sense."

All commissioners said Coryea has performed well in her role and they believe having someone in-house, whether Coryea or another employee, is important during the transition so there is continuity in the administrator.

Longtime Deputy County Administrator Dan Schlandt also has announced his retirement.

County commissioners directed staff to begin the process for recruiting a county administrator and asked for more options of companies to conduct the search.