In a surprise turn of events, Ronald Davis, general manager of Burbank Water and Power, has dropped out of the race to become Austin Energy‘s new GM. Sources close to the negotiations say that Burbank’s offer to stay was just too good. This leaves two candidates in the hunt, and the city has added two extra panels to Wednesday’s public forum.
This from the city:
Austin Energy General Manager finalist Ronald Davis, General Manager of Burbank, Calif., Water and Power, has withdrawn from the selection process for the position.
The community meeting to meet the finalists will continue as scheduled this Wednesday, June 30, 6-8 p.m. at Austin Energy headquarters. The public will have the opportunity to meet with Larry Weis, General Manager and CEO of Turlock, Calif., Irrigation District; and David Wright, General Manager of the City of Riverside, Calif., Public Utilities, the two remaining finalists.
The withdrawal of Davis creates an opportunity to use the extra time in the schedule for additional vetting by the public. In addition to the community meeting, the City is adding two panels to the interview process with select members from the business and environmental communities for public input.
The city only announced the three-person short list on June 17 but the selection process has already drawn criticism from local activists disappointed by the lack of an internal AE candidate. The utility company seems to be hoping that, with fewer candidates and more opportunities to quiz them, there will be more community buy-in on their final pick.
The forum takes place 6-8pm, June 30, Austin Energy Headquarters, 721 Barton Springs.
This article appears in June 25 • 2010.
