CORRECTION: This article was amended December 24, 2020, to correct the name of the company Port Orange hired to find city manager candidates. The city hired Colin Baenziger & Associates, not Mercer Group. It has been corrected in the story.

PORT ORANGE, Fla. — Two Central Florida governments are undergoing leadership changes amid a top-level retirement and resignations.

Interim Port Orange City Manager Alan Rosen announced his resignation Tuesday, effective January 22. 

Rosen is taking the top administrative position in Lake County government, replacing Jeff Cole, who just retired as county manager after more than three years in the role.

Rosen, hired as Port Orange’s assistant manager in January 2015, was elevated to interim city manager December 11.

He stepped into the role after former city manager Michael “Jake” Johansson resigned November 4. 

“It has been an honor and a pleasure to have served as the interim assistant city manager, assistant city manager and interim city manager over these last six years,” Rosen said in his resignation letter. “I will truly miss the support and comradery from both the elected officials and the staff here in Port Orange.”

Port Orange City Council members appointed administrative services director Jamie Miller as the next interim manager, effective 5 p.m. January 22.

Miller will receive assistance from newly-appointed interim assistant city manager Susan Lovallo, who previously served as the parks and recreation director for Port Orange.

Port Orange City Council members also picked a Daytona Beach Shores-based executive search firm to recruit permanent city manager candidates. The city hired Colin Baenziger & Associates for $26,500.

Port Orange also needs to fill a vacancy on the City Council following the resignation of Marilyn Ford from the District 1 seat. She moved away. The City Council on Tuesday agreed to hold a special election to fill the seat. The qualifying period for candidates will be February 1 through February 5.

The election is set for April 13, A runoff election, if needed, will be June 22.

The Lake County Commission on October 13 approved a short list of candidates for county manager. One-on-one interviews with each commissioner were held November 20. Interviews with the board as a whole were held December 8.

That’s when the Lake County Commission picked Rosen and authorized contract negotiations.

Under the nine-page employment agreement approved with Rosen on Tuesday, he will earn a base salary of $185,000 annually. He has the potential to earn an additional $5,000 annually if he gets good marks during his first evaluation October 1.

The county will pay up to $5,000 to move Rosen and his family from Ormond Beach to Lake County. His contract takes effect February 8.

“Employee shall devote his entire working time, attention and energies to the performance of his duties on behalf of the county,” the agreement states.