Susan Stanton was the city manager of Largo, Florida for 14 years until she announced she was becoming Steve Slanton. She was subsequently terminated. Stanton's case made huge headlines two years ago. Now Stanton is a finalist for the city manager job in Lake Worth.
According to a story in the Palm Beach Post, "Stanton's gender was not mentioned by city commissioners Thursday during a discussion of city manager finalists."
That alone makes Lake Worth more open-minded than Largo. "We're a wonderful community, says Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill, who I reached by phone today. "We're an accepting community." She said that commissioners had only reviewed the candidates on paper so far -- they're coming for interviews the first week of April -- but she was impressed by Stanton's application because "of all the candidates, she was the only one who mentioned the natural environment."
Beaches and green space make Lake Worth unique,
says Mulvehill. The commissioner also noted that another candidate had
managed an All-American City, and "we are looking for someone who will
integrate well. Someone who will help us move to another level." Former
Broward County Administrator Pamela Brangaccio is among the finalists.
A story in the St. Pete Times
published over a year ago detailed how Stanton has led a lonely existence
since her transition, and how she has had trouble finding employment. She applied for 100 city manager jobs but was called for only four
interviews. In Largo, Stanton managed a $130 million budget and was
paid a $140,000 salary. The Lake Worth job is comparable, with a
salary of $140,000 to $160,000.
