Hogle, St. Denis apply for county administrator job

Former Longboat Key Town Manager Bruce St. Denis and Longboat Key Police Chief Al Hogle are among the 45 candidates who submitted applications for the vacant Sarasota County administrator position by the Oct. 21 deadline.

Hogle told the Longboat Observer that he decided to seek the position “a couple of months ago” and discussed the idea with St. Denis.

“I’m not sure how successful my application will be, but I think I have some of the background experience needed,” Hogle said.

Hogle said that he believes that interim administrator Terry Lewis, whom he described as a “change agent,” was the right man for the job. He said he wouldn’t be applying if Lewis were seeking the position long-term.

Hogle has served as Longboat Key police chief since December 2002. His resumé also includes 28 years with the Sarasota police department, nearly three years as a Sarasota city commissioner, including one year as mayor, and one year as Bradenton police chief. He listed numerous accomplishments with the town on his resumé, including preparing and assisting in the management of negotiations for a signed Police Benevolent Association union contract, the reduction of officer and civilian staff without a reduction of service levels and the preparation of budget documents to develop more effective department management in a downsized budget.

St. Denis didn’t respond to a phone call seeking comment. But in his Oct. 20 letter to the commission, he listed large projects that he has been involved with during the course of his 30-year career, including the planning, design and construction of a $54 million criminal courts facility and involvement with the planning phases of a 768-bed jail facility during his 10 years as director of facility management for Pinellas County, as well as the 2006 completion of a $21 million beach renourishment project during his time with the town of Longboat Key.

St. Denis resigned from the role of town manager in September. Hogle was appointed to the role on an acting basis by the Longboat Key Town Commission on the same day but was removed from the role last week by the commission.

The Atlanta-based Mercer Group is handling the county administrator search and will narrow the pool of candidates to 15 by Nov. 2 for the Sarasota Board of County Commission consideration.

Al Hogle
1970 to 1998 — Sarasota Police Department, earning rank of captain; retired
1998 to 2001 — Sarasota city commissioner
2001 to 2002 — Bradenton police chief
2002 to present — Longboat Key police chief
Sept. 16, 2011, to Oct. 17, 2011 — Acting Longboat Key town manager 

Bruce St. Denis
1977 to 1982 — Administrative assistant to Largo Public Works director
1982 to 1986 — Assistant director of Dunedin Works and Utilities
1986 to 1996 — Pinellas County director of facility management
1996 to 1997 — Longboat Key assistant town manager
1997 to September 2011 — Longboat Key town manager