Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore (District 5) is calling for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) to pause its search process for its next Chief Executive Officer. This comes after it was announced yesterday afternoon that two of the three finalists for the position have withdrawn their candidacy.
Councilmember Moore is a member of the KCRHA’s Governing Committee and CEO Search Committee. She has previously voiced her concerns about proceeding with a CEO search before the structural issues with KCRHA were resolved. Now, with only a single candidate remaining, it’s clear the KCRHA CEO Search Committee must take time to reassess.
“I appreciate the time and candor of each of the candidates. However, when two out of the three finalists you’re interviewing withdraw their candidacy in close succession, it’s clear there is a larger problem. Given the myriad of challenges facing KCRHA, it is imperative that we make the best hiring decision. We can’t afford to have our choice made by default. To ensure we are best positioned to recruit and hire the right match for this critical leadership position, we must first get our house in order. It’s the only way we can ensure KCRHA has a chance to succeed.” said Councilmember Moore.
To date, the CEO Search process has involved numerous concerning leaks about confidential information despite all search committee members signing confidentiality agreements. At least one of the finalists cited those breaches of confidentiality in his withdrawal from consideration.
The other, most recent candidate’s withdrawal apparently occurred on Monday. However, some CEO Search Committee members, including Councilmember Moore, were not notified until the day before the final interview was scheduled. Others have reported not being notified at all.