Austin Mayor Steve Adler posted the six names and small biographies for each candidate on the council's message board. The pool of candidates boasts experience in leading day-to-day, transportation and housing operations for some of the country's largest metropolitan areas. Candidate bios are according to Adler's post and will be updated as the story develops.
1. Spencer Cronk
Cronk has served as Minneapolis City Coordinator—city administrator—since 2014.
2. Cecil House
House is an attorney and "senior operations executive" who leads Gilbane Building Company's New York City office. House has experience in private and public sectors. He was previously the general manager and chief operating officer of the New York City Housing Authority, the nation's largest public housing authority.
3. Scott Kubly
Kubly has served as director for the Seattle Department of Transportation since July 2014. He previously worked as deputy director for the Chicago Department of Transportation, and associate director of the District Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C.
4. Howard Lazarus
After serving as Austin's Director of Public Works from 2008 to 2016, Lazarus moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan to serve as city administrator. He served as Austin's interim city manager in 2010
5. Denise Roth
Roth serves as a senior advisor at WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, a global engineering and professional services organization where she assists public and private sector clients with buildings, infrastructure and energy projects. Roth was formerly appointed by former president Barack Obama to serve as administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration between March 2015 and Jan. 2017.
6. Maura Sullivan
Sullivan serves as the chief operating officer for the city of Chattanooga in Tennessee where she runs the city's day-to-day operations. Previously she served as interim exectuive director of the Memphis Housing Authority.
