Committee getting closer to finding BSD director

The committee charged with finding a new executive director for the Birmingham Shopping District (BSD), a position that has been vacant since early May, will likely present a recommended candidate to the full BSD board at their meeting in September.

Nineteen persons had applied by the June deadline for the position and a committee has been reviewing resumes in recent weeks, according to Jana Ecker, assistant city manger who was named as interim director until the position is filled.

The BSD position became vacant on May 3, when Sean Kammer, then the executive director, resigned just shy of one year into his tenure with the city, citing problems with some members of the governing board of the business group. His resignation was effective immediately.

The committee reviewing applicants includes the chairpersons of four standing committees of the BSD, along with Ecker and the manager of human resources for the city.

Ecker told the government board of the BSD on Thursday, August 4, that the committee charged with making a hiring recommendation was working to thin the applicant pool down to four contenders, then by mid-August to trim the number to two finalists who would then be asked to make a 15-minute presentation to the committee, which would also conduct a question-and-answer session,

The assistant city manager told the BSD board that the goal was to be able to present a candidate and a recommendation to the governing board in September.