Brevard County To Select Headhunter Firm Wednesday To Vet Candidates For New Tourism Director

Tourism Director highest paid department head in Brevard County at $128,546

BREVARD COUNTY VIERA FLORIDA – Brevard County is considering three headhunter firms to locate the best candidates to fill the vacant position of Executive Director for the Space Coast Office of Tourism.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TDC DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION

Eric Garvey, who served three and a half years as executive director of the Space Coast Office of Tourism, resigned his position in July to take a job as Chief Operating Officer with Bob Baugher’s Hotel Group, which owns the Four Points Sheraton in Cocoa Beach, Cocoa Beach Suites hotel and the Radisson Resort in Cape Canaveral.

According to Jim Liesenfelt, Brevard County Assistant Manager, the firms being considered are Searchwide LLC of Minnesota, LMC Group LLC of New Hampshire and HR Dynamics of Vero Beach.

Liesenfelt said each firm has responded to the request for proposal and the winner will be chosen by a selection committee on September 19.

The selection committee includes Liesenfelt, along with Frank Abbate, Brevard County Manager; Tom Williamson, general manager/partner with Ocean Partners Associates and TDC member; and Puneet “PK” Kapur, general manager of the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Palm Bay and TDC member.

“I’m looking for the firm who has the experience in the subject area (of tourism) and the success of the candidates that they have placed,” said Liesenfelt.

Garvey, who was paid $128,546 annually by Brevard County at the time of his resignation, was the highest-paid department head in Brevard County government.

Baugher, a longtime member of the Brevard County Tourism Development Council and Marketing Committee, said Brevard should increase compensation for its prospective tourism executive director to be competitive with other counties around Florida.

Below are the positions and current salaries being paid to Brevard County department heads:

• Airport Manager: $82,776.20
• Budget Director: $108,043.78
• Central Services Department Director: $98,035.08
• Emergency Management Office Director: $94,209.18
• Fire Rescue Department Director: $107,311.10
• Housing & Human Services Department Director: $95,652.70
• Human Resources Office Director: $106,127.06
• Information Technology Department Director: $108,276.74
• Library Services Department Director: $93,868.32
• Mosquito Control Department Director: $73,461.18
• Natural Resources Management Department Director: $104,527.02
• Parks & Recreation Department Director: $103,500.02
• Planning & Development Department Director: $ 107,319.42
• Public Safety Office Director: $108,043.78
• Public Works Department Director: $98,221.50
• SCGTV/Communications Office Director: $77,699.18
• Solid Waste Management Department Director: $109,145.14
• Transit Services Director: $91,762.58
• UF/Extension Services Director: $87,074.81
• Utility Services Department Office Director: $104,527.02
• Tourist Development Director (Interim) $90,970.88

The Brevard County Tourist Development Council was established to promote growth, development and quality of tourism on the Space Coast.

The Brevard County Tourist Development Council consists of nine members appointed by the County Commission that oversees the Tourist Development Tax (Resort Tax), a 5 percent tax on the total rental amount collected from every person or other party who rents, leases, or lets for consideration living quarters or accommodation in any hotel, apartment hotel, motel, resort motel, apartment, apartment motel, rooming house, mobile home park, recreational vehicle park, or condominiums for a period of 6 months or less.

This tax, which is projected to generate $15 million this year, is collected by the Brevard County Tax Collector and is in addition to the 7 percent State of Florida Sales and Use Tax remitted to the Florida Department of Revenue.

Bonnie King is acting as the Brevard County Tourist Development Council’s interim executive director until a replacement is hired. She is scheduled to retire in June 2019.

CLICK HERE FOR BREVARD COUNTY NEWS

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