Ben Godar
Character, credentials and experience in diverse communities are
what those involved in the search say they found in incoming Police
Chief Randy Adams.
The selection of Adams, currently chief in Simi Valley, was
unanimously approved by the City Council on Tuesday night. He will
replace outgoing Chief Russell Siverling, whose last day was Dec. 15.
Capt. Ron DePompa is filling the position until Adams begins Jan. 31.
City Manager Jim Starbird made the selection after the pool of 40
applicants had been reduced to three by an executive search firm and
local committees. While the three finalists, two from outside the
department and one internal, were all strong, Starbird said Adams was
clearly the top candidate.
"He's a seasoned chief from a quality city," Starbird said. "He's
got tremendous credentials and he's actively involved in his
community."
Maximus Executive Recruitment, the firm that compiled the
candidates and eventually reduced the list to eight, primarily sought
those with experience as a chief in comparably sized, diverse
communities.
Vice President Norm Roberts said the opportunity to work in
Glendale was appealing to many people, but Adams and several of the
other top candidates did not voice interest until the city raised the
salary it was offering.
"The compensation they were offering was much too low for the
position," Roberts said.
Adams will earn $154,000 a year plus benefits, an increase of
around 10% over what Chief Russell Siverling made.
Of the 40 candidates that applied for the job, Roberts said all
were from California or other Western states. Using a profile
developed with city and police staff, Maximus narrowed the field to
eight.
Seven of those prospective chiefs came to Glendale, where they
were interviewed by three committees representing city professionals,
members of the police department and the community.
Father Joe Shea of Holy Family Catholic Church, one of the members
of the citizen committee, said Adams was head-and-shoulders above the
other candidates. He was most impressed by Adams' calm demeanor, and
the fact that he didn't pretend to have an answer to every problem.
"The pronoun 'I' wasn't used as much as it was with some of the
other guys," Shea said.
In the end, Starbird said it was Adams' character as much as his
experience that made him the right fit for Glendale.
"How the community sees the integrity of the chief of police is
very important," Starbird said.
