And Then There Were Two
Duncanville, TX (November 13, 2020) – The City of Duncanville has narrowed the search for the next City Manager to two exceptionally qualified candidates.
On Saturday, November 21, 2020, the City will hold a Virtual Community Town Hall Meeting from 10:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. This meeting will allow residents an opportunity to ask questions of the finalists virtually. The City Council will also have an opportunity to interview the finalists again on November 21, 2020, during a virtual meeting in Executive Session.
The City selected Strategic Government Resources (SGR) to assist in filling the position left vacant by Kevin Hugman who retired on June 30, 2020 after serving Duncanville for 5 years. SGR’s search resulted in an impressive candidate pool. SGR is an executive recruitment firm based in Keller, Texas, specializing in recruiting, assessing, and developing innovative, collaborative, and authentic leaders for local governments.
SGR’s proprietary recruitment and vetting process produced a remarkably strong field of candidates.
The City garnered 40 applications from candidates in 18 states including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
City Manager finalists:
Aretha Ferrell-Benavides has more than 20 years of local government experience and currently serves as the City Manager for the City of Petersburg, VA.
Her previous public service experience includes:
- City Manager and Deputy City Manager – City of Glenn Heights, Texas (2014-2017)
- Deputy Secretary, Office of the Secretary of the District (2011-2014); Chief Operating Officer, Department of Parks and Recreation; Director, Office of Neighborhood Action & Community Empowerment; and Chief of Staff, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, Families, & Elders – Government of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC (2004-2008)
- Assistant County Administrator – Los Alamos County, California (2003-2004)
- Assistant to the City Manager – City of Sunnyvale, California (2002-2003)
- Deputy Chief of Staff, Chicago Housing Authority; Assistant Chief Information Officer – City of Chicago, Illinois (1997-2002)
- Assistant to the Chief of Staff, Governor’s Office – State of Maryland (1995-1997)
Aretha holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Howard University and a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in Political Science from Southern University.
Brian Bosshardt has more than 20 years of local government experience and most recently served as City Manager of Bedford, Texas from April 2017 to January 2020.
His previous public service experience includes:
- Deputy County Manager and Assistant to the County Administrator – City and County of Los Alamos, New Mexico (2010-2017)
- Organizational Development Administrator and Assistant to the Mayor and Council – City of Chandler, Arizona (2000-2010)
- Management Assistant/Community Oriented Governance Coordinator, and Management Intern, City Manager’s Office – City of Westminster, Colorado (1997-2000)
Brian holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Arizona State University. He has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Hamline University.
Residents are invited to participate in the Virtual Town Hall with the City Manager Finalists.
Duncanville resident comments will be prioritized. Participants who have a question and/or comment will be asked to provide their name and address as well.
