Succession plan re-emerges as Ross departs

Longboat Key Assistant Town Manager Anne Ross accepted the offer to become Lakewood Ranch’s new executive director Oct. 8, prompting new concern about who will be Town Manager Dave Bullock’s eventual successor.

Ross, 43, will depart the town Oct. 28 and starts her new Lakewood Ranch position Nov. 2.

“It concerns me,” said Mayor Jack Duncan. “I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Dave’s office but this is a tremendous loss of an asset and it’s the loss of a big asset.”

Bullock, 65, won’t release a timetable for his eventual departure but told the Longboat Observer Monday he’s not going anywhere anytime soon “because there’s a lot of work for him to do.”

In an Oct. 9 email to Bullock, Commissioner Lynn Larson requested a succession planning discussion for the Oct. 19 regular workshop agenda.

“We can pretend that you will want to continue as town manager into the unlimited future or we can accept the fact that one day you will wish to leave because of family, health, or whatever reason you may choose,” Larson wrote. “This is no different from the fact that while none of us may be ready to leave this world, most of us plan and make arrangements, such as a will, for the eventual day we do leave.”

Bullock said he’s ready to listen to commissioners next week to get direction on a succession plan they seek.

In the meantime, Bullock said he’s already looking for a new assistant town manager.

“A search is on both internally and externally and I’m looking around,” Bullock said. “I will look to find someone with a certain set of skills.”

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].