Northfield's Finance Director Interviews for New Job

Northfield's finance director, Kathleen McBride, is one of four finalists for the same position for Inver Grove Heights.

On Friday, she and the other candidates were interviewed for the position by city finance staff, as well as department heads and supervisors, City Administrator  said in an email to Patch on Sunday.

The other three finalists are Sandra Christensen, finance director for West St. Paul; Josh Feldman, finance director for South St. Paul; and Kristi Smith, finance director for Isanti.

Lynch says he will review evaluations filled out by the interviewers before taking the next step: determining whether there are two candidates to move forward in the process.

“If there are, I will set up another interview with these two candidates and interview each personally and then make a recommendation to the City Council, hopefully at [its] Jan. 23 City Council meeting,” says Lynch. “If all goes well and the preferred candidate gives a 30-day notice to their current employer, I am hopeful that we can have a new finance director on board by the end of February or March 5.”

Northfield on Friday said goodbye to Jody Gunderson, who resigned as the city's economic development director to take a job in Ohio. In 2011, Katy Gehler resigned as Northfield's public works director after five years in the position.