Union Grove changes hiring plans; Whitewater city official on recent short list for village administrator position

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Union Grove changes hiring plans; Whitewater city official on recent short list for village administrator position

Union Grove changes hiring plans; Whitewater city official on recent short list for village administrator position

Update: Whitewater Neighborhood Services Director Chris Bennett has accepted a position as village administrator in Wind Point, Whitewater City Manager John Weidl confirmed Wednesday.

Bennett was among finalists for a similar position in Union Grove, WhitewaterWise has reported.

Responding to Bennett’s decision to accept the Wind Point position, Weidl said: “The city can do nothing but congratulate its employees who move on to serve the public in bigger ways. Chris has long wanted to move into an administrator position and I’m personally grateful he stayed with the city as he did. Chris has been instrumental in several longer-term city projects, including the design and implementation of the small lot single-family zoning, which is something that will greatly assist in the creation of affordable housing in Whitewater. His work with the Plan and Architectural Review Commission facilitated numerous development projects including Starbucks, ALDI, Dollar General and two Kwik Trips. We wish him continued success.”

By Kim McDarison

Recent reports from a news agency covering the village of Union Grove noted that city of Whitewater Neighborhood Services Director Chris Bennett was among two candidates making it onto a short list for the position of village administrator.

The Journal Times, located in Racine, ran the headline: “Union Grove names two finalist to become the next village administrator,” on July 19.

Following a meeting of the village’s Personnel Committee held Tuesday, members chose against making an offer of employment to either of the two candidates, whom, interim Village Administrator Sara Spencer said, village officials found themselves, opting instead to hire Indiana-based search firm McMahon and Associates to aid them and “continue the search.”

Spencer, responding to questions by email, noted that the village’s former administrator, Kerry Bennett, who is not related to the neighborhood services director in Whitewater, left the position in July. She began her tenure with the village in April of last year, starting initially as an interim administrator. She was hired in a permanent capacity in July of 2022.

In response to the vacancy, the village conducted its own search to fill the position, initially receiving some 20 applicants for the job. Four applicants were interviewed by the Personnel Committee and outgoing administrator on July 10 and 11, and two finalists were selected she said.

Chris Bennett was one of the two.

A second applicant, Karen Kastenson, a director of clerk services in Kenosha, also was chosen as a finalist.

Spencer noted that the search for a village administrator will remain ongoing. She was unable to say when a final decision to fill the position was anticipated.

According to the Journal Times, “Bennett was a finalist for the same job in 2022,” which, the paper reported, was “the last time village officials filled the position.”