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City Commissioner Bob Farrell chats with Elle Cole after her interview.
Boyne City Commission picks Elle Cole of Saline as next city manager
By Jim Baumann, jim@boycitizen.com
The Boyne City Commission unanimously selected Saline Interim City Manager Elle Cole as their “preferred lead candidate” to become city manager in a special meeting on Friday morning.
Cole has been with the city of Saline (population 9,000) since 2022, serving as both treasurer and deputy city manager before being named acting city manager. Other finalists interviewed in a four-hour meeting on Friday were Scott Czasak, city manager of Caro; and John Matthews, Boyne City’s interim city manager.
The next step before actual hiring is to perform a background check and have the city attorney and the Pivot executive search firm negotiate a contract, including salary. Pivot representative James Freed said city manager contracts are “pretty standard” and often take only hours, not days, to complete. The final hiring could be done at the commission’s August 12 regular meeting, or possibly at a special meeting before that.
Cole impressed Boyne City officials by coming to town on Tuesday, three days before her interview, and making time to meet with city commissioners, department heads, Main Street Executive Director Ingrid Day, Boyne Area Chamber Executive Director Tricia Wilcox, and business owners. She attended the Evenings at the Gazebo concert on Wednesday night.
Mayor Tim Nemecek praised Cole’s “go-getter attitude.” He said, “Elle’s investment of time and energy this week speaks volumes about her passion and desire to be part of this community. She met with a wide range of stakeholders, asking thoughtful questions, building relationships and listening closely to their insights.”
Cole formerly worked as a CPA, and Nemecek noted that “From a financial perspective, Elle brings an extraordinary track record of successes. She brings a comprehensive understanding of revenue growth and grant funding. Her resume shows a record of achievement, innovation and hands-on leadership.”
“She’s not the type of leader to wait for tasks to land on her desk. She rolls up her sleeves and puts in the hard work. I believe she will take the goals and objectives of the City Commission regardless of who’s on that commission, and translate that into plans and objectives to move our community forward.”
In her interview, Cole said, “What I am most proud of in my professional career is truly building highly successful teams that deliver for the public - where they actually notice a tangible difference in the services they are receiving.”
Asked about her leadership style, Cole said, “I lead with people, not with titles. I lead through relationships, understanding, and collaboration. I believe that this increases output, builds trust and provides clarity.”
“Part of what resonated with me for Boyne City was the clarity that you have. You know who you are as a community, and you want to keep and cherish that identity. Your values that I’ve learned really align with how I lead.”
Cole said, “I’m not the kind of leader who is going to sit behind a desk and let the problems come to me. I’m going to be in the trenches. I’m going to learn, I’m going to ask questions. I’m strategic. I like to think outside the box - actually I like to do outside the box. And I do my personal best when I’m working with great people doing meaningful work.”
> Below is a 41-minute Facebook video of the City Commission discussion and hiring decision after the three candidate interviews. Click here or click picture to see the video.
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