CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Charleston City Council approved a resolution Monday for an executive recruitment firm to assist in the search for a new general manager of the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center.
SearhWide Global will assist the facility’s Personnel Committee with searching for a new person, who will replace John Robertson after 42 years with the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center.
“This is a firm that has been instrumental across the entire industry and came highly recommended with other coliseums and other convention centers,” said Carrie Fenwick, the president of the Board of Directors. “They kind of know what in this era of the competitive nature of this business we should be looking for.”
The selection of SearchWide Global comes after Robertson’s announcement of his retirement on Sept. 24; the Board of Directors initially had nine firms interested in the process. None of the firms are based in West Virginia.
Fenwick said SearchWide Global focuses on facilities similar to the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center, making a perfect fit.
“A lot of the firms that we talked with do searches for CEOs, executives, chairmen of the board,” she said. “They do that, but in the convention and coliseum industry.”
The firm will receive $37,500 for their services.
Fenwick estimated it will take between 10 and 12 weeks for a new director to be announced, but noted possible delays because of holidays in November and December.