Bernadette Douglas, executive vice president of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce who holds a seat on the LTRO, said Wednesday she is encouraged by the number and quality of resumes.
Once Friday’s deadline has expired, the full collection of resumes will be handed over to an LTRO subcommittee of human resources professionals who will review each and make recommendations to the full recovery group. Finalists will be notified and scheduled for personal interviews.
“We’ve had a very good response,” Douglas said. “It looks like we’re seeing some very qualified names.”
Without disclosing total numbers to date, she pointed out electronic resumes were continuing to be sent as of mid-afternoon Wednesday. More were expected today and all the way through Friday until the 5 p.m. cutoff.
LTRO members late last week agreed full-time positions for recovery leader and case manager are needed to coordinate Bradley County’s long-term disaster recovery efforts. Each position is expected to span from 12 to 24 months.
“The goal is to find two qualified individuals to oversee day-to-day operations of recovery from the April 27 storms,” LTRO co-chairman Matt Ryerson said in a news release announcing the personnel hunt. “The two openings are full-time, paid positions which will play key roles in the recovery effort which could take between three to five years.”
The recovery leader salary will range from $40,000 to $50,000 depending on experience and qualifications. The case manager salary will range from $25,000 to $35,000, but is negotiable depending on experience and qualifications.
Both salaries will be paid from grants and volunteer contributions, according to published reports attributed to Matt Carlson, LTRO chairman.
According to an LTRO Communications Committee news release, “Candidates for both positions must commit to serve for at least one year with the possibility of 24 months to ensure the mission is accomplished.”
Applicants with an interest in either role, and who hold the necessary qualifications, should send a resume to canbradclevtn@gmail.com.
The recovery leader position includes three primary qualifications:
- Excellent people skills with the ability to relate well to individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds;
- Experience in successfully managing budgets and understanding the importance of financial responsibility and accountability; and
- Experience and established success in managing people.
The case manager role also includes three primary qualifications:
- Skills in coordinating multiple simultaneous activities;
- Ability to capture and follow up on details; and
- Manage volunteers while relating to individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
An LTRO press release cites both positions will require the ability to work closely with others, but it specifies of the case manager role, “... will be someone who is empathetic toward people affected by the disaster while also being objective and open-minded.”
In developing plans for advertising the paid posts, LTRO members considered giving applicants a two-week period, but opted for just one week because of a sense of urgency for moving ahead with long-term recovery work, according to Dan Howell, executive assistant to Bradley County Mayor D. Gary Davis. Howell holds a seat on the LTRO and serves as a member of its Communications Committee.
The LTRO board, which will soon be a chartered organization, was scheduled to meet this afternoon to continue its storm recovery work. Endorsed by the Mayors’ Coalition, LTRO is comprised of a cross-section of government, civic and community leaders.
