By Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com

The Brighton City Council has further whittled down the list of candidates for city manager, following interviews with the semi-finalists on Thursday.

The three finalists for the position vacated with the departure of Nate Geinzer are Mike Archinal, a former assistant Brighton city manager and current manager in Genoa Township; Gretchen Gomolka, the acting Brighton city manager and the city’s finance director; and Cedar Springs City Manager Mike Womack.

Cedar Springs is a small city north of Grand Rapids with a population of about 3,500 and Womack has been its city manager since 2016. The two semifinalist candidates eliminated from the previous list were Nathan Thiel, interim economic development director for the city of Whitewater, Wisconsin., and Samantha Timko, deputy supervisor/chief of staff in Orion Twp., MI.

In a news release Friday afternoon, City Clerk Tara Brown announced that a “Meet and Greet” for the public will be held Monday, July 18th, from 3-4:30 p.m. in council chambers of city hall in Brighton. In the statement, Brown said that members of the public will be able at that time to “mix and mingle” with the three finalists. Beginning at 5 p.m., the finalists will be interviewed a final time. Council is then expected to put forth a recommendation to begin contract negotiations toward an offer to be the next city manager.

Photos: #1 - Genoa Twp. Mgr. Mike Archinal; #2 - Acting Brighton City Mgr. Gretchen Gomolka; #3 - Cedar Springs, MI, City Mgr. Mike Womack.