Two internal and two external applicants are in the running to become the next top attorney for the City of Tallahassee.
According to an email sent late afternoon Friday to Tallahassee commissioners and their staff, four candidates were shortlisted by the city’s Human Resources and Workforce Development department out of 11 eligible applicants for the City Attorney vacancy: Blueprint Attorney Susan Dawson, interim Tallahassee City Attorney Amy Toman, Duval County School District Chief Legal Counsel Ray Poole, and Gadsden County Commissioners Attorney Clayton Knowles.
The email included the complete applications of all eligible jobseekers. Here is a breakdown of the four shortlisted candidates:
Tallahassee City Attorney Cassandra Jackson stepped down from the position last November. Her resignation came after disparaging text messages from Assistant City Manager Wayne Tedder were made public, saying she “lacks credentials, knowledge and experience.”
Susan Dawson:
Dawson has worked in public law since 2002. Her experience includes stints with the Florida Department of Management Services, Office of Insurance Regulation and Florida Supreme Court. She has spent the past five years as Attorney for the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency, the agency responsible for managing sales surtax revenue in Tallahassee and Leon County to fund infrastructure and economic development projects.
Dawson had several legal disagreements with the outgoing City Attorney, including arguing that the two-person board that manages Blueprint does not have to operate in accordance with Florida’s Sunshine laws.
Amy Toman:
Toman has served as acting City Attorney. With over 30 years of legal experience, Toman has spent the past six as Tallahassee Deputy City Attorney. Prior to her current career stop, she spent over five years as Executive Director of the Florida Elections Commission.
Ray Poole:
If Poole is selected for the job, it would require a move. He has worked as the chief legal counsel for Duval County School District for two years. Before his current job, he was chief of Legal Services for the Nassau County School District.
When he wasn’t working in the public sector, he was a partner and senior counsel at the law firm Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete’s Jacksonville office.
Clayton Knowles:
Knowles’ current job is just a stone’s throw away. He has been the Gadsden County Board of County Commissioner’s attorney since 2020. Knowles also has the least years practicing of the four selected for the shortlist, having graduated law school in 2012. Before working for Gadsden County, he spent time with the law firms Knowles & Randolph, P.A and the Pittman Law Group.
The candidates are set to be interviewed publicly at the Tallahassee City Commission Chambers on Jan 16th beginning at 2 p.m.