The City of Seward is considering five candidates for its city manager opening. The applicants — some local to Seward, some from other Alaska communities and some from out of state — will be reviewed by the city council on Monday.
The city manager role has been vacant since May 10, when former manager Janette Bower departed for the top job in Soldotna. Bower had been with Seward since May 2021.
The first applicant is Edgar Blatchford, a long-time Alaska politician who served as the mayor of Seward, and sought the 2016 Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, which he lost. Most recently, Blatchford has been the chief research officer at an Alaska tourism company, and a professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
The next applicant is Kat Sorensen, the current executive director of the Seward Chamber of Commerce. She previously worked as the communications director for the chamber, and as a reporter at the Peninsula Clarion.
The third applicant, Susana Stinnett, is the former city manager of Unalakleet and Saint Mary’s, both in Western Alaska. Most recently, she was the assistant finance director for the City of Dillingham.
Samuel Sulkosky is the next applicant. He has served as the borough manager of four different Pennsylvania boroughs over the past 15 years, among other municipal government roles.
The final applicant is George Zoukee, a real estate investor who most recently worked for the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration.
The Seward City Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Monday for a special meeting to review the applications.
