The Convention and Visitors Bureau may have a new president and chief executive officer earlier than it expected as the search committee is interviewing the final two candidates this week.

“Our two finalists are both in town and we’re interviewing (Tuesday and Wednesday),” CVB Chairman and Interim President/CEO Dennis Schilling said. “We’re moving full steam ahead.”

Schilling declined to give the names of the final two candidates, adding that he would like to “finish the background checks and interviews before we make it known.”

Schilling was appointed to the position in October to replace former President/CEO Char Beltran.

Schilling, also a member of the six-person search committee, said it does not matter how long the search lasts, he does not plan on asking for any compensation as the interim president/CEO despite working more than 30 additional hours a week. The CVB board is required to approve any possible monetary changes during its regular meeting, CVB Director of Operations Coleen Pruyn said in October.

The search committee, headed by vice chairwoman Carolyn Bruce, narrowed potential candidates to fill the permanent position in December. Bruce said the committee received 59 applications from local candidates and across the country.

“We had some very fine applications from some very astute and good people on paper,” Bruce said. “We then narrowed that search to a top seven and conducted verbal interviews with them.”

Bruce said the committee would be speaking with the final two candidates Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon and evening. She added that the committee would need to agree on the candidates first and therefore could not predict a possible hiring date.

While Bruce originally hoped a permanent replacement would take five months, Schilling said in January he didn’t know if the search would be completed by April, but added he didn’t expect the process to last past 2010.

“Our main goal is we want to get the best of the best that the community of candidates provides,” he said in January. “If it takes a few more hours and we get the best person, then that’s what we’re going to do. There was never a timeline we established. It’s public knowledge that the search committee devote as much effort as possible and do it in a timely manner.”

You can contact the reporter at nbruttell@havasunews.com

TODAY’S NEWS-HERALD

The Convention and Visitors Bureau may have a new president and chief executive officer earlier than it expected as the search committee is interviewing the final two candidates this week.

“Our two finalists are both in town and we’re interviewing (Tuesday and Wednesday),” CVB Chairman and Interim President/CEO Dennis Schilling said. “We’re moving full steam ahead.”

Schilling declined to give the names of the final two candidates, adding that he would like to “finish the background checks and interviews before we make it known.”

Schilling was appointed to the position in October to replace former President/CEO Char Beltran.

Schilling, also a member of the six-person search committee, said it does not matter how long the search lasts, he does not plan on asking for any compensation as the interim president/CEO despite working more than 30 additional hours a week. The CVB board is required to approve any possible monetary changes during its regular meeting, CVB Director of Operations Coleen Pruyn said in October.

The search committee, headed by vice chairwoman Carolyn Bruce, narrowed potential candidates to fill the permanent position in December. Bruce said the committee received 59 applications from local candidates and across the country.

“We had some very fine applications from some very astute and good people on paper,” Bruce said. “We then narrowed that search to a top seven and conducted verbal interviews with them.”

Bruce said the committee would be speaking with the final two candidates Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon and evening. She added that the committee would need to agree on the candidates first and therefore could not predict a possible hiring date.

While Bruce originally hoped a permanent replacement would take five months, Schilling said in January he didn’t know if the search would be completed by April, but added he didn’t expect the process to last past 2010.

“Our main goal is we want to get the best of the best that the community of candidates provides,” he said in January. “If it takes a few more hours and we get the best person, then that’s what we’re going to do. There was never a timeline we established. It’s public knowledge that the search committee devote as much effort as possible and do it in a timely manner.”

You can contact the reporter at nbruttell@havasunews.com