WPCNR City Hall Circuit. By John F. Bailey. May 13, 2004: George Gretsas, White Plains Executive Officer  speaking to WPCNR from his hotel before retiring Thursday evening said he had completed his first round of interviews with Fort Lauderdale City Commissioners, Christine Teel and Carlton B. Moore, and would interview with Mayor James Naugel, City Commissioner Dean Trantalis, and City Commissioner Cindi Hutchinson Friday. He said he would return to White Plains Saturday for the wedding of Kathleen Gunn, Executive Director of the White Plains BID. He spoke to WPCNR after returning to his hotel from a Meet and Greet Reception at the Riverhouse Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale.

GREETING FORT LAUDERDALE: White Plains Executive Officer, George Gretsas is introduced to an overflow crowd on the veranda of the Riverhouse Restaurant on the New River in Fort Lauderdale Thursday evening. WPCNR's Correspondent on the scene said city officials did not want the four job candidates talking to reporters, no news conference was held, and each was introduced individually 30 minutes into the gala reception for over 200 guests. The WPCNR man said there was no grand entrance. The candidates simply emerged quietly from within the restaurant through the columned portico out to the terrace.  WPCNR News Photo by Joe Amon, Photojournalist.

Mr. Gretsas said he lunched riverside at a restaurant on New River with fellow contenders,  Thomas Hoover of Wooster, Massachussetts and Michael West of Johnson City, Tennessee, in between interviews with the two City Commissioners and said he found the whole day an ”unbelievable, absolutely fascinating” experience.

He spoke highly of the other three City Managers being considered with him, saying Hoover, West and George Kolb, were formidable rivals with “a lot of knowledge,” a wealth of experience, who have had a number of job offers.  He described them as three of the top City Managers in the country, and felt this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience meeting with men of their stature. He likened the atmosphere developing between he and the three men as bonding like a team on “Survivor” or “The Apprentice,” --  rivals but with a sense of comradery.

RIVERHOUSE RECEPTION: George Gretsas makes a point with Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Bruce Roberts, right, while City Commissioner Cindi Hutchinson (center) listens. Mr. Gretsas displayed his usual low key, in-the-background style according to WPCNR's reporter, not working the terrace at all, standing in one spot and not moving 10 feet the entire 2-1/2 hours. He waited for guests to come to him. In contrast, WPCNR's observer said,  the three other candidates, Thomas Hoover, Michael West and George Kolb circled the terrace extensively, engaging many in conversation. the WPCNR correpsondent said West (formerly of the Fort Lauderdale budget department) was particularly congenial, smiling, and at ease with the crowd. Our reporter said  he  saw Hoover make three complete circuits of the room. WPCNR News Photo by Joe Almon, Photojournalist.

Gretsas said his lunch with Hoover and West  at Dan Marino’s restaurant (where he dined on chicken with lemon-garlic sauce) was a congenial and productive time, “an extensive discussion” talking shop, discussing budgets, issues and experiences the three faced in their cities. Asked if they shared any experiences and feelings about the media, Mr. Gretsas laughed delightedly and declined to elaborate.

Asked if he was bringing any ideas back with him from his fellow candidates, Gretsas said he was coming back to White Plains with some ideas, but mainly with a once-in-a-lifetime experience, meeting and associating with these men.

GRETSAS DEMONSTRATED CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONALISM listening to comments Thursday night on the Riverhouse veranda. WPCNR News Photo by Joe Amon, Photojournalist

Gretsas said after he completes his interviews Friday, he would attend an awards dinner at the public library in Fort Lauderdale as a guest of the city, and would fly back Saturday morning to the New York area to attend Ms. Gunn's nuptials.

WPCNR's reporter at the Riverhouse reception where Fort Lauderdale's Final Four were introduced, described it as a Who's Who of Fort Lauderdale: "everybody who was anybody in Fort Lauderdale was there. All the city commissioners, the head of the Chamber of Commerce." He said the "Meet and Greet" had a buffet of hot hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar, and a lot of brie and fruit, and he also noted greek pastries filled with spinach.

GRETSAS GREETS, MEETS, MINGLES in the balmy Gold Coast twilight on the New River. WPCNR News Photo by Joe Amon, Photojournalist

MAKING POINTS: Mr. Gretsas was described by our reporter as a good listener, quietly referring to his White Plains experience and how it might apply in Fort Lauderdale when guests came up to ask specific questions.

WPCNR News Photo by Joe Amon, Photojournalist.

In a follow-up to yesterday's talk with Mr. Gretsas, WPCNR asked if he toured the area with a real estate agent, Gretsas said that he had toured Fort Lauderdale alone. He also assured WPCNR that he had done no other work in Florida where some client would have recommended him for the position.