Eight finalists to interview

By Chris Falkowski, Managing Editor

After St. Cloud Police Chief Darryl Holliday retired, the City of St. Cloud began an intensive search for a replacement.  The salary range for the Police Chief position is from $69,525 to $125,145 per year. 

“Immediately after Chief Holliday’s retirement announcement, we started working diligently on the selection of the next police chief,” said City Manager Tom Hurt. “The city’s police chief oversees the day-to-day operations of the department and also serves as chief counsel to the City in matters of public safety.”

Applicants had to meet very stringent requirements and the official job announcement listed the following position requirements: 

• Bachelor's Degree in Police Science, Criminology, Public Administration or a related field, or any equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Completion of Minimum Standard training courses as set by the Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission and current certification.
• 10 years of increasingly responsible experience in law enforcement with a minimum of 5 years in a responsible management capacity and a minimum of 2 years as Chief or Deputy Chief or equivalent.
• Graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy or the Southern Police Institute Command Officer course is desired.
• Maintenance of a current/valid State of Florida Driver License which meets requirements outlined in the City’s Personnel Rules and Regulations Manual as well as any requirements by the City’s insurance carrier (at no additional cost, or risk), and determined by the City to be an acceptable driving record history.

The City Human Resources office received a total of 41 applications that were narrowed down to eight individuals who have been named as finalists in the police chief search.  They are:  

• Bradley Margeson from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, is currently the Director HR and formerly the Deputy Chief.
• Douglas Muldoon from the Palm Bay Police Department is currently serving as Deputy Chief.
• Eugenio Bernal from the Orlando Police Department is serving as Deputy Chief.
• Lee Spector was formerly with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department and served as a Captain.
• Paul Kiley is from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department and holds the position of Major.
• Peter Gauntlett was formerly with the Orlando Police Department and his last position was Deputy Chief.
• Ron Otterbacher was formerly with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office serving in a variety of positions, including Commander, Division Chief, and Captain.
• William Tokajer is currently employed by the Bradenton Police Department in the Deputy Chief position.

“The impressive professional backgrounds of our eight finalists will allow us to select an outstanding new police chief,” said City Manager Hurt. 

Interviews with the eight finalists are scheduled for March 1-5 and when the finalists’ interview process is complete, the selection of the city’s new police chief will follow soon after.

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