Summary of Specifications:
The City of Ferndale invites applications for Economic Development Director
The Community The City of Ferndale is an inner-ring suburb located between 8 Mile Road and 10 Mile Road (I-696). Woodard Avenue, a National Historic Byway, bisects the City. The City has approximately 20,000 residents and occupies approximately four square miles of southeast Oakland County. Centrally located in southeast Michigan, the City has easy access to interstates, is along major transit routes, and borders the City of Detroit.
Primarily residential, Ferndale is a walkable community with a small, lively and diverse mix of businesses. Commercial and industrial businesses account for 22 percent of the City’s land use, while five percent is for institutional and governmental buildings. Ferndale is a community that is 100 percent built-out, relying on redevelopment as its economic growth strategy.
Ferndale has been a center of economic growth since Henry Ford began building Model T’s at the nearby Highland Park Ford Plant in 1913. Ford’s introduction of the Assembly Line and five dollars daily wage attracted employees and suppliers. Ferndale was incorporated as a village in1918 and as a city in 1927.
However, you will not find any “Fortune 500” companies in Ferndale. Today, Ferndale is home to more than twelve hundred businesses and a vibrant downtown. The community’s top employers include the City, Ferndale Public Schools, and privately held businesses like Gage Products Company, a leading global supplier of paint solvents, diesel test fuels, calibration fluids and paint-system recycling technology for the automotive industry founded in 1936; Credit Union ONE; organized in a local church basement in1938; Ferndale Laboratories, Inc., manufacturing pharmaceutical products at its present location since 1950; Allied Printing Company, Inc., providing most everything you need in the world of printing, since 1952; Progressive Metal Manufacturing Co., manufacturing high quality metal parts for more than 40 years; and the new kid on the block, Garden Fresh Salsa, Inc., America's #1 award winning fresh salsa maker that started in the back of a small restaurant on Woodward Avenue here in Ferndale.
Additional information regarding Ferndale can be found on the City's website at www.ferndale-mi.com.
The Opportunity The City of Ferndale is recruiting its first Economic Development Director. The position was created to intensify the City’s focus on redevelopment following a 2008 Master Plan update and achieving Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) certification in 2009. The Economic Development Director will lead the City’s redevelopment efforts under the direction of the City Manager.
The Economic Development Director will be responsible for creating and implementing a business attraction, retention and expansion plan. He/she will serve as director of the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and may serve as the City Manager’s designee pursuant to the City’s Appearance Review and Film Ordinances. He/she will also work with the 8 Mile Boulevard Association, Ferndale Chamber of Commerce, Ferndale Downtown Development Authority, Ferndale Public Library, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Oakland County, Woodward Avenue Action Association and other economic development partners to strengthen the local economy. This may be achieved by creating a BALLE network, initiating entrepreneurship programs, promoting “Film Friendly” Ferndale, and other entrepreneurial approaches to economic development.
The Qualifications This position requires a Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, urban planning or a closely related field from an accredited college or university. This position also requires significant responsible economic development experience. The City reserves the right to select any combination of education and experience it believes will yield the best results for the City.
The ideal candidate will have a Master’s or other advanced degree and be a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD). The ideal candidate will also have a verifiable record of economic development experience focused on economic gardening and other entrepreneurial approaches to economic development. Preference will be given to those candidates with experience creating and implementing business attraction, retention and expansion plans in comparable Michigan communities as well as experience with other economic development tools such as Brownfield Redevelopment Authorities and Michigan Brownfield financial incentives, tax abatements, tax credits, and tax increment financing.
Compensation The Economic Development Director will be a technical consultant employed under contract. Contractors must maintain commercial general liability, comprehensive automobile liability, and workers’ compensation insurance. Individuals without such insurance are encouraged to apply and will be given an opportunity to obtain insurance if selected. The City will negotiate a mutually agreeable contract with the successful candidate including competitive compensation based on the candidate’s qualifications and compensation history consistent with similar positions in comparable Michigan communities.
How to Apply Candidates are encouraged to apply immediately. The first review of resumes will begin on September 28, 2009. However, the position is open until filled. Applications must include the following: • A cover letter explicitly stating how the applicant meets the desired qualifications o Bachelor’s degree o Master’s or other advanced degree o Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) o Experience redeveloping Brownfields o Experience creating and implementing business attraction, retention and expansion plans • Comprehensive resume • Compensation history • Five (5) professional references (The City will not contact references without consent)
Candidates are responsible for accurately portraying their qualifications as well as their overall match with this position through submitted materials. Please send application materials to:
City of Ferndale Attention: City Manager 300 E 9 Mile Rd Ferndale MI 48220
Call (248) 546-2360 if you have any questions.
Equal Opportunity Employer
