Here Are The 3 Finalists For Royal Oak City Manager

ROYAL OAK, MI — Royal Oak city officials will interview three candidates for the city manager position, according to a news release.

Joseph Gacioch, Khalfani Stephens and Erik Tungate were selected among a pool of 12 candidates, who were recommended by Double Hall Solutions, which is an executive search and consulting firm, according to the release.

The City Commission will publicly conduct the interviews on Oct. 12 at City Hall, located at 203 S. Troy St. After the interviews, the commission will select a new city manager in roughly a week.

"We are fortunate to have attracted such highly qualified professionals to our amazing community," Royal Oak Mayor Michael Fournier said. "The City Commission and I are looking forward to a robust process to ensure we find the best candidate to lead our organization and support an elected body focused on developing a new strategic direction built upon community principles."

The 12 candidates were initially selected out of a pool of 54 candidates through a questionnaire and a screening interview, according to the release.

The City Commission then narrowed down those candidates to the three finalists. Here is a little more about each finalist:

Joseph Gacioch

Gacioch currently serves as the City of Ferndale City Manager, where their mission statement and organizational values drive their work culture. He is also a Credentialed Manager under the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

Gacioch is active with the Michigan Municipal Executives (MME) where he serves on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. During Gacioch’s tenure, he oversaw the development of the City’s first Climate Action Plan.

Khalfani Stephens

Stephens is a seasoned government administration professional with direct experience at the local, county, and state levels, as well as strong community and economic development experience.

He has served as the Deputy Mayor of the City of Pontiac since 2022 and is a Certified Economic Developer and holds an Economic Development Finance Professional certification. Stephens also serves on the Michigan Municipal League Board and is active in multiple professional and non-profit organizations.

Erik Tungate

Tungate is a Credentialed City Manager through the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and certified in 'Leading with Excellence,' and has led the City of Oak Park as its City Manager since 2012.

Tungate prides himself on being an exceptional communicator and collaborator with the ability to implement change. He holds a Human Resources Senior Certified Professional certification and was named Public Service Executive of the Year by the American Society of Public Administration Detroit Metropolitan Chapter.