A search for the next president of Downtown’s redevelopment agency has cast a wide net, and many have answered the call.

The Center City Commission’s headhunter says more than 70 applicants have surfaced.

A committee led by CCC board chairman Jennifer Hagerman expects to narrow the field to a handful by late this month.

Hagerman said the CCC wants a new chief on board in May to shadow outgoing president Jeff Sanford until he retires June 30.

The organization oversees planning and development of Downtown and a larger central business improvement district. Sanford is paid $155,000 a year.

David P. Smith of HRS Inc., a Pittsburgh consultancy, and minority partner W.G. Tucker & Associates are getting $35,000 plus up to $10,000 expenses to find Sanford’s successor. Smith has placed executives in more than 30 cities represented by the International Downtown Association.

Smith has called on downtown development professionals across the country to gin up interest, and run ads in Memphis newspapers and on Web sites of the National Trust, the IDA, Urban Land Institute and International Economic Development Council.

“We’ve got people from the local area and we’ve got people from the national area. We’re looking at a broad brush of people who have been involved in downtown development, economic development, urban development, the nonprofit world and people with good solid corporate management skills.”

Smith wasn’t sure how many people had applied when the deadline passed Thursday. He will present the full list to the search committee Wednesday.

The committee wants to narrow the field to 5-10 for teleconference interviews, then 2-4 for personal interviews.

– Wayne Risher: 529-2874

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