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City set to approve new executive search consultant

February 29, 2012 at 8:39 am 8

The Baltimore Board of Estimates is expected this morning to approve a contract with a Florida search firm to help the city fill its growing number of executive vacancies.

Gans, Gans & Associates, a minority business based in Plant City, Fla., was selected by  Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake following a “nationwide [search] via Internet posting,” according to board records.

Four proposals were received by the city, which were reviewed by the mayor’s office and the Department of Human Resources. The final decision was made by Rawlings-Blake. Since the mayor controls three of the five spending board seats, approval of the contract is pro forma.

Simone Gans Barefield, CEO of Gans, Gans & Associates. (From website)

Simone Gans Barefield, CEO of Gans, Gans & Associates. (From website)

Gans, Gans is not unknown to Baltimore officials. Its website currently features a profile of Paul T. Graziano, Baltimore’s housing commissioner, with whom the search firm has worked closely “in conducting more than 20 executive searches over the past 10 years.”

One of its recent searches resulted in Anthony Scott being named deputy executive director of the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC).

“We can always rely on Simone Gans Barefield and her staff at gga to help us find well-qualified, top-notch housing professionals,” the article quotes Graziano as saying.

$14K Per Search

Under its two-year contract with the city, Gans, Gans will receive $14,000 per search, plus travel expenses.

Among the city’s current vacancies are two high-profile positions – president of the Baltimore Development Corp. following last week’s sudden retirement of M.J. “Jay” Brodie, and Chief Information Officer following yesterday’s resignation of Rico J. Singleton, who was accused of steering IT contracts in return for favors while deputy CIO for New York State.

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  • Carol

    What a waste of time and money!

    These top jobs should be going to people from the area, who have a proven record of dealing with local conditions. 

    And choosing top people is one of the few jobs the Mayor has where she can make a real difference through her personal judgement. She is abdicating one of her important duties by relying on some overpriced search firm to the job for her.  

  • Unellu

    There are jobs in America,
    at a time when there are
    no jobs in America–

    For the ones who can work
    with their hands in America–
    for the ones who can build–
    plant, grow, pick,
    cut, mow, sew–
    repair, replace, refurbish–
    there are no jobs
    for the middle class–
    and the poor in America–
    on unemployment -
    and on the streets–
    because there are no jobs.

    But for the ones
    who can spout a good line–
    there are jobs in America
    in job placement–
    jobs to find fits for jobs–
    at the very top–
    of the expanding job market,
    in bloated government–
    there are royally paid jobs,
    for the majority stakeholders–
    in minority business–
    there are jobs.

    like lego blocks,
    like puzzle pieces–
    seeking perfect fits–
    for completion–solution–
    there are jobs that need
    snugly fitting executives
    to execute–
    the mission of the elected–
    to execute the jobless electorate–
    there are jobs–

    Usha Nellore

     

      

  • http://twitter.com/MairZdoatz Mair

    Should’ve had Singleton post the jobs on the internet before he left.

  • Bmorepanic

    Because the local and regional recruiters aren’t good enough?  Personal knowledge of people in the area isn’t good enough?  And SRB cared so much that about qualified people that she just posted the rfp on the internet?  That’s a nationwide search for a recruiter?

    Given Paulie’s press, he’s hardly an endorsement.

    I wonder if this firm found Singleton?

  • westside resident

    So Maryland has some of the best graduate programs in the nation – from engineering to medicine to law to social work and they cannot seem to build a pipeline of talented people willing to work for the wages the city pays?

  • Edfitz

    Another pathetic display of judgment.  The current leadership in this city can only work with business locally if it involves a TIFF or Tax Abatement. I hope the employees of Gans & Gans enjoy spending my tax dollars throughout the city of Plant City Florida.

  • Odette

    My company almost applied for this opportunity.  I was away during the time the RFP came out and at the deadline.  I hope this search firm is good, and does look local for talent.  I would  have liked to have the opportunity to be a local company to work on this.  We would not have charged the City as much either.

  • http://twitter.com/MairZdoatz Mair

    Deputy Mayor Christopher Thomaskutty is leaving too. There goes another $14k down the tubes.

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