After several months of searching, the city of Stuart has selected Michael Giardino as its next city manager, replacing former City Manager Mike Mortell, who was fired from the role without cause in October.
The city formally began its search in January, receiving more than 80 applications and narrowing the field to 13 candidates through interviews and an appointed committee.
Mayor Christopher Collins said he approached the selection process with an emphasis on leadership style and how the next manager would work with the city commission and residents.
“That's how I've tried to approach it, is not just who would I want to work with, but who could really positively affect the culture and the tone the spirit of the city going forward,” Collins said. “It was very important to me in talking to people that I got the sense that they could follow the chain of command. Whether it's me in the seat, or somebody else in the next cycle, so that truly the will of the people could be implemented and from the top down, from your city manager down, [and] that there could be a unified organized culture within the city of trying to implement that and trust our commissioners that you may educate them and lead them as close as you can, but ultimately we are going to follow the will of the people through the commission.”
During the commission’s discussion, two finalists emerged as the primary contenders: Giardino and Glenn Adams. Both candidates have extensive military backgrounds, but Collins said Giardino’s professional experience ultimately set him apart.
“He currently is the co-deputy of LaGuardia Airport, that is no joke,” Collins said. “This guy is a 26-year Navy guy that retired from the military in 2011. He has run bases with 800 people down in the Keys, so he's not alien to Florida. He has run various airports, he has municipal experience as well in Brownsville.”
Commissioners Sean Reed and Eula Clarke supported selecting Giardino. Commissioner Laura Giobbi, however, said she favored Adams for the role.
“Mr. Giardino is very qualified as well as Glenn Adams,” Giobbi said. “I thought that Mr. Adams had a much more personable feel for working with the commissioners and the staff.”
Giobbi said Giardino remained her second choice but expressed concerns about the leadership style she perceived during the interview process.
“I think he's almost a little too military," she said. "I think that while that's great when you're coming on a ship people have had that previous type of mentorship or leadership, [but] I think it might be just a little too harsh."
Commissioner Campbell Rich offered little input during the discussion, saying only that Giardino was not his preferred candidate and that he would not vote for him. Rich also declined to say which candidate he supported.
The commission ultimately voted 3–2 to approve a motion naming Giardino as the selected candidate and Adams as the runner-up, with Giobbi and Rich dissenting.
If Giardino is unable to accept the position, Adams would be offered the job instead to avoid restarting the search process.
Interim City Manager Roz Strong said the city will now begin working on an employment agreement.
“The next steps is [that the] city attorney will reach out to Mr. Giardino and navigate elements of an employment agreement and get that prepared for the next meeting,” she said.