The candidate from north Georgia has withdrawn himself from contention for Augusta administrator.
Robert Sivick confirmed by email Tuesday he is no longer seeking the position, but has no hard feelings – he doesn’t plan to take legal or other action against the city.
Sivick, the county administrator in Whitfield County, Ga., was one of three finalists for Augusta administrator named by Mayor Garnett Johnson on Monday.
The other two finalists are city Chief Information Officer Tameka Allen and Richard D. Chess, who works in government and transit administration in Broward County, Fla.
Some on the Augusta Commission were livid that Johnson released the names of finalists Monday. Commissioner Jordan Johnson said it broke with the process the commission set for the selection and might have legal ramifications. But so far that has not been the case.
Sivick’s withdrawal leaves just two of the three finalists selected by Johnson for the Augusta Commission to consider. Interim Administrator Takiyah Douse, a former banker and head of the county tag office, was in a final pool of seven candidates and is favored by several on the commission, but was not in Johnson’s unranked Top 3.
According to his Whitfield County biography, Sivick served in the U.S. Army National Guard, earned a law degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., and practiced law for more than 15 years. He served on the Nebraska Accountability Commission and Omaha City Council. He became administrator of Whitfield County in north Georgia in September 2021.
Less is known about Chess but The Augusta Press has requested additional information. According to a news release from the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Chess was named the authority’s director of finance in 2014.
The Jersey City, N.J. native is a graduate of Dillard University in New Orleans, it said. He previously served as director of finance and accounting for the city of College Park, Ga., as accounting and tax audit director for Scottsdale, Ariz., and as accounting manager for Reno, Nev., and Daytona Beach, Fla. He also spent nearly 10 years on Wall Street with accounting firms.
Allen has been with city government for 31 years. Her title is chief information officer and she has headed the city IT department for more than 20 years. Allen, a former deputy administrator under Administrator Fred Russell, served as interim administrator for most of 2014.
The city is required to release information about the finalists at least 14 days prior to making a final decision. The commission as required by the Augusta code must choose from among the mayor’s selections but may reject them all. The commission hired a search firm, Developmental Associates, to conduct the search but wound up with four local candidates, including Douse, in a final pool of six or seven.
