PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – After narrowing the field down from the 53 applicants to four finalists, the Portage City Council has scheduled interviews next month with those four seeking to become their next City Manager.
First round interviews, which are open to the public, are slated for Wednesday, August 19 at 3:00 and will be held at Portage City Hall. Each interview will be one hour in length and will be broadcast live on Public Access (Spectrum Channel 995 and AT&T Channel 99) and livestreamed at portagemi.gov/WatchLive.
Following the interviews, the Council expects to identify its final candidates, schedule second round interviews, and appoint a new City Manager by early September.
Tuesday, July 21, the City Council narrowed the field of candidates to Sarah Moyer-Cale, City Manager, Hastings, Michigan, Aaron Desentz, City Manager, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, Karen Dempsey-Horan, Chief Administrative Officer, The Woodlands Township, Texas, and Aaron Mitchell, City Manager, City of Otsego, Michigan.
Former City Manager Pat McGinnis retired effective July 3, 2026. He began his tenure with the city July 12, 2022.
City Manager Candidate Information:
Sarah Moyer-Cale, City Manager, Hastings, Michigan
Moyer-Cale has served as a municipal manager in three Michigan communities. She has a master’s degree in urban planning from Wayne State University and Bachelor of Arts in Urban
Ministry from the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. Moyer-Cale believes that the greatest asset of any community is its people and has a focus on placemaking and collaboration. She enjoys
volunteering, gardening, and visiting new towns and unique businesses off the beaten path.
Aaron Desentz, City Manager, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
Mr. Desentz currently serves as the City Manager in Mt. Pleasant and has been a manager for 13 years. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from Eastern Michigan University
and is pursuing a second in Management, Strategy, and Leadership from Michigan State. Mr. Desentz is also an Adjunct Lecturer for Jackson College teaching Public Administration. He sits
on the Eastern Michigan University MPA Advisory Board.
Karen Dempsey-Horan, Chief Administrative Officer, The Woodlands Township, Texas
Ms. Dempsey-Horan has served The Woodlands Community for 28 years, starting in community relations and working her way to executive management. Originally from the Great Lakes
region, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In addition to her commitment to the community she serves, Ms. DempseyHoran has been active in local school programs and professional associations for local government.
Aaron Mitchell, City Manager, City of Otsego, Michigan
Mr. Mitchell has served over a decade as a municipal manager in southwest Michigan at the City of Otsego and the Village of Decatur. He is an ICMA Credentialed Manager and previously earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Administration from Western Michigan University. In addition, Mr. Mitchell serves his community by volunteering and sitting on the boards of the Otsego Rotary Club, Christian Neighbors and RedArrow Ministries.
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