Small-town Whitewater, like so many small towns, has a community development authority. For several years, Whitewater’s city manager has overseen and directed that authority in the absence of a director responsible to the CDA alone. One can leave aside a detailed critique of the CDA’s past performance (performance that I consider often misguided), and still think about whether a dedicated director is a good idea.
I’d say that a full-time director would be a good idea.
I’m not sure, though, what to make of the job description for the position. The full description is available as a .pdf document, and there’s also a summary on the city’s website. Below is the summary description:
Community Development Authority Director: City of Whitewater, WI is seeking a dynamic professional to lead its economic and community development efforts. This position reports to the Community Development Authority and is responsible for the planning and implementation of economic development programs related to business development, neighborhood improvement and downtown revitalization as well as the development and marketing of the Whitewater Business Park.
Qualified applicants should have 3 years of progressively responsible experience in community economic development along with a bachelor’s degree in Business or Public Administration, Planning, Geography, Economics or a closely related field, Grants Administration experience a plus. A master’s degree is preferred, as is designation as a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD). Residency required.
Annual salary: $55,000-$60,000 DOQ plus possible incentives.
Application Deadline: The deadline for submitting applications is December 1, 2011.
The City of Whitewater is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
There’s a gap between hiring authority and reporting authority here, of course. That kind of gap may be found elsewhere, in other cities, but it remains the CDA’s problem of these last years: that we’ve not had a more independent leader. As we’ve blurred so much before, we’re well-overdue for being clear and definite now. If all of this amounts to the CDA director believing that the true lines of reporting run to Whitewater’s city manager, we’ll find ourselves with the same organizational (and practical) problems we’ve had before.
Beyond all that, the concern that an applicant have, for example, “designation as a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD)” is an unnecessary concern. There’s formal schooling and there’s practical experience. A supposedly prestigious and ‘international’ certification (CEcD) like this is worse than preoccupation over credentials: it’s just silly.
Consider a description of the certification from a group that charges for awarding it:
You have the experience, skills, and knowledge of a great economic developer. Now get recognized for your achievements through the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) program.
If one has the experience, skills, and knowledge of a great economic developer, then should one not be recognized already — even now? Those experiences, skills, and knowledge are all the recognition one should ever need, or seek.
(For more about these ersatz standards, see Whitewater’s Innovation Center: Good for Producing Innovative, ‘International’ Fairy tales.)
It should be enough — more than enough — to find a formally educated person with significant experience in attracting and retaining businesses. If one should seek only one accomplishment of an applicant, by the way, it would be the latter, not the former: attracting and retaining business is the heart of the job.
Smart and sensible, active and accomplished, wins the day.