Ascension group eyes applicants

• By JOHN A. COLVIN
• Advocate River parishes bureau
• Published: Nov 30, 2008 - Page: 8B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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SORRENTO — The search for the next director of the Ascension Economic Development Corp. could be complete within  two months, said John D. Scanlan, president of the nonprofit corporation’s board.

Assuming, of course, that  there is a suitable candidate among the initial batch of applicants who submitted resumes, he added.

“We will find a qualified candidate no matter how long it takes,” Scanlan said.

“If we don’t have someone to fit our criteria, we will do another round of solicitation.”

Tommy Kurtz, who became the president and chief executive officer for the parish’s economic development initiative in 2006, officially vacated the post Friday.

On Monday, he begins a job with the Louisiana Department of Economic Development as director of the Business Retention and Expansion Group.

Scanlan said the corporation’s board has received a lot of interest in the open position, which has generated about 18 resumes from applicants who appear highly qualified.

The list includes candidates from Louisiana as well as some from other states.

Ascension Economic Development Corp. is seeking someone with three to five years of experience and who is properly certified by a professional organization such as the International Economic Development Council.

The corporation’s board anticipates the next director will continue to build on the entity’s success after its 2005 creation and does not see a need for a new direction, Scanlan said.

The board is proceeding with the next step in the selection process — conducting an assessment of candidates who qualify on paper, Scanlan said.

Using the assessments and resumes, he said, board members will then narrow down the list to applicants with whom they wish to conduct telephone interviews and then make another round of elimination.

At that point, board members will hold face-to-face interviews with those who remain in contention and grade the results.