Robert H. Collings

Airport Contact: Robert Collings, City Manager, (405) 527-6561

Collings , the current city manager of Cushing , was a late addition to the interview list.Wilson announced last week that four men would be interviewed - a list that did not include Collings.
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As first man up , Collings answered a variety of questions from the five members of the City Council , on topics ranging from economic development to utilities to funding sources.The council members began by asking questions in turn , although as the interview progressed , Wilson and Ward 4 Councilmember Don Holland did most of the quizzing.Twenty or so spectators , about half of them city employees , listened but were not allowed to participate in the questioning.

When asked by Wilson about his experience with electrical service , Collings said he had experience in all but one of the cities where he has worked , and noted that the city would be in trouble without it ( a municipally owned electric system ).When deregulation of electrical service all shakes out , municipalities will be on top again , he added.

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Collings noted that he has chosen to stay in smaller communities and said Tecumseh could focus on becoming a bedroom community with a quality of life better than larger communities..Ward 1 Council Member Lou Sutterfield asked Collings about his relationship with the Department of Environmental Quality , citing fines and the consent order the city has been under.We've had two at Cushing , he replied , adding that he never really had a problem with the agency.It's better to try to get along with them , he said.

We're faced with a possible budget shortfall , said Ward 3 Council Member Ken Kinslow , asking how Collings would handle it.
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Collings said he would study alternatives , with cutting jobs the last thing he would do.Wilson followed up by asking if he had cut jobs when he took the Cushing position , and Collings replied there were 137 employees when he went there and there are still 137 employees.We had little turnover except in the police department , he said.Wilson said later he asked the question because of rumors circulating that the two top positions at the police department would change.

When Holland asked about economic development successes , Collings cited a private prison built with a $36 million bond issue and sold a year later for a million dollar profit.We built a swimming pool with the money , he said , adding that we've paid more attention to existing industries and helping them grow..When Wilson asked about finances , Collings said he likes having a rainy day fund - you never know what might happen..Holland asked about cooperative projects with other local organizations , and Collings cited the success of the Main Street program in Purcell , where he was city manager from 1984-1993.It takes the whole community , he said.It can happen here..

How accessible would you be to the citizens?.Wilson asked.Twenty-four hours a day , seven days a week , 365 days a year , Collings replied.That's what it takes … Most people are reasonable if you're reasonable with them..

Applicants (in no particular order) include Bill Tackett of Woodward; Buck Day of Maud, Pete Seikel of Shawnee, currently McLoud town administrator; Tecumseh code enforcement officer Donald McInturff, former Cushing city manager Robert Collings, John M. Sheppard of Walters; J. Gregory Buckley of Penn Hills, Penn.; Pamela Forbes of Tecumseh; Harry A. Staven of Asheville, Ohio; Carl H. Braun III of Harrah; Kimberly Warren of Tecumseh; Daniel M. Stuck of Portsmouth, Va.; James S. DePuy of Edmond; Tom Ginter of Oklahoma City; Dale F. Milam of Lamar; Todd Clynch of Shawnee; Alton E. Brown of Dickson, Tenn.; Don Smitherman; Richard A. McClanathan; Robert Durbin of Warr Acres; Robert W. King of Tulsa;

Interviewed were Rader and Robert H. Collings , city manager at Cushing.

Finalists for the job are Gary D. Rader , Weatherford mayor/city administrator ; Troy C. Powell , management analyst with the City of Edmond ; Richard Allen McClanathan , city manger of Hiawatha , Kan. ; and Robert H. Collings , city manager at Cushing.
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* Robert H. Collings -- Collings has 27 years' city management experience.He is city manager of Cushing , a post he's held since 1984.Prior to that time , he was city manager at Purcell for nine years.He has other city management experience , including city manager positions at Sulphur and Hominy.

I have excellent leadership , organizational , negotiating , communication , analytical and problem-solving skills , he wrote in his cover letter.I bring a high energy level and enthusiasm to my business endeavors....

All four candidates have lengthy and complete résumés for Tecumseh city councilors to pore over.Each candidate has varying education genres along with job description information.

Each candidate will be interviewed in open session , one at a time.

Interviewed were Rader and Robert H. Collings , current city manager at Cushing.