HomeMy Public PortalAboutLTC 111-2015 - Colin Baenzinger & Associates Background Report - Dwight S. DanieAAL H OUR
F 1.0 RI1)A'S PARADISE
OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE MANAGER
NO 111 _2015 LETTER TO COUNCIL
TO: Mayor Martin Packer and Members of the Village Council
FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, Village Manager V�
DATE: June 19, 2015
SUBJECT: Colin Baenziger & Associates Background Report — Dwight S. Danie
The purpose of this Letter to Council (LTC) is to transmit the Bal Harbour City Clerk
Candidate Report for Dwight S. Danie, provided by Colin Baenziger & Associates.
This report is supplemental information to Agenda Item R7C — Approving an Employment
Agreement for the newly appointed Village Clerk, included in the June 23, 2015 Council
Agenda.
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please feel free to contact me.
Attached
JMG/par
jgonzalez@balharbour.org
Subject: FW: Email Address
Attachments: Danie, Dwight - Bal Harbour City Clerk Candidate Report.pdf
We did not find anything of concern. I would have liked to see more references. Dwight gave
us twelve references on June 111h. So far we have only been able to reach three. We have
called multiple times and sent emails and asked Dwight to call them to encourage them to
respond. We will keep trying but this seems to be a tough group to get return calls.
Best wishes!
Colin
@ Colin Baenziger & Associates
Cell: 561-707-3537
... Visit our website at www.cb-asso.com
1
COLIN BAENZIGERI"ASSOCIATES
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Dwight S. Danie
Bal Harbour City Clerk
Candidate Report
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BACKGROUND CHECKS
CB&A REFERENCE NOTES
PAGE
INTERNET SEARCH 11
CB&A Background Checks
Page 3 of 14
Background Check Summary for
DWIGHT S. DANIE
Criminal Records Checks:
Nationwide Criminal Records Search No Record Found
County
Miami -Dade County, FL No Record Found
State
Florida No Record Found
Civil Records Checks:
County
Miami -Dade County, FL No Record Found
Federal
Florida No Record Found
Motor Vehicle
Florida No Record Found
Credit
Excellent
Bankruptcy
No Record Found
Education
Confirmed
Employment
Confirmed
Page 4 of 14
Background Check Summary for
DWIGHT S. DAME
Personal Disclosure
Personal Disclosure Questionnaire
Name ofApplicanl: DWIGHT S DANIE
The following questions are designed so that we will be able to make PoII disclosure to our client concerning your
background. Please answer them honestly. Cutting comers or misreprescming your past will result in you being
eliminated from all further searches conducted by this firm. We understand that frivolous charges are sometimes made
and that charges do not mean you were guilty. We also understand that you may have been wronged and needed to seek
compensation. The bottom line is that we want to be chain that our client is fully informed. If you have any
questions, please contact us for clarification.
Please cvP144 rAlji 3L —ftv"iEea a seoerart shetr a/aAW,
1. Have you ever been charged or convicted-of/a Muny?
Yes 0 No ff'
2. Have you ever been accused of or have been
involved in a domestic violence cr abuse incident?
Yes 0 No IY
3. Have you ever declared bankruptcy or been an owner in a business that did so?
Yes 0 No Q
4. Have you ever been the subject of a civil rights violation complaint that was investigated or resulted in a
lawsuit?
Yes 0 No bI
S. Have you ever been the subject of a sexual
harassment complaint that was investigated or resulted in a lawsuit?
Yes 0 No ♦3
6. Have you ever laxu wnvicted of driving while intoxicated?
Yes 0 No y
7. Have you ever sued a current or former employer?
Yes 0 No B/
8. Do you have a personal My Space, Face Book or other type of Web Page?
Yes li No 0
9. Do you have a personal Twitter Account?
Yes G/ No 0
10. Is there anything else in your background that, if made public, would cause you, our client or our firm
embarrassment if it came to light through the press or any other mechanism?
Yes 0 No 9th
11. ploase provide a list of any lawsnits in which you are or have been a party either as plaintiff or defendant.
Attested to:
a &S.g,,s�.,,).f Applicant
Please email this form via PDF DOCUMENT to kknubon*cb�asso corn or via faa to
(888)539-6531 a hat r has S 00 P C (Note! Please Please he sure to sign the form with your actual signature if you are sending Fax or PDF Document)
Property of Colin Baeoziger & Associates
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Page 5 of 14
CB&A Reference Notes
Page 6 of 14
Reference Notes
Dwight S. Danie
Alina Mencio — Planner II, City of Miami, FL 305-416-1400 305-302-3684
Ms. Mencio met Mr. Danie in 1998 when they were working for the Department of Children and
Families. He is the best boss Ms. Mencio has worked for.
Mr. Danie is a great boss and a pleasure to work for. He is extremely organized and handled even
large and complicated projects well. He compiled information from different cities in the County.
He coordinated with the police department and the health department on various tasks.
Because Mr. Danie made good choices when hiring personnel he had a very good team. His
decision making in general is very good, he has the leadership capacity to head a department and
handle large projects while overseeing daily operations. He has been working as a city clerk for
10 years and has performed perfectly.
Part of Mr. Danie's daily work is to maintain public records. He is very experienced and
understands the requirements of both the Public Records Act and the Public Meetings Act. One
of his strengths is his technical ability. He is good with computers and statistics.
Mr. Danie applied methods for employees to work faster and better. He did his best to create and
maintain efficiency. He maintained the organization at a high performance level. He provided a
high degree of leadership and kept everyone informed. He is a very conscientious person and
works well with both the elected officials and the public. He is #1 at providing customer service
and is always concerned about meeting deadlines.
As long as Ms. Mencio has known Mr. Danie he has not been involved in anything controversial.
She is not aware of anything in his background that would concern an employer.
Ms. Mencio would hire Mr. Danie. He is the best and she was surprised when he was not selected
for the position in Miami. He is excellent and will be a good asset for any municipality.
Words or phrases used to describe Dwight Danie:
• Knowledgeable,
• Techy,
• Leader,
• Organized,
• Team worker, and
• Cordial with customers.
Strengths: Very prepared, good leader, coordinates to keep everyone working in concert,
creates a great work environment, disciplined.
Weaknesses: None identified.
Page 7 of 14
Reference Notes
Dwight S. Danie
Christina White — Deputy Supervisor of Elections, Miami -Dade Elections, FL
305-499-8403
Ms. White met Mr. Danie in 2006. He is the Elections Coordinator and serves as the liaison
between the City and the Election Department.
Every other year Miami contracts with the Elections Department to conduct their primary and
general elections. Mr. Danie works with Ms. White's department to coordinate every aspect. She
oversees 34 cities in Miami -Dade County and works with 34 different individuals. Some are
excellent and others need to have their hand held. With Mr. Danie as the liaison the elections
always run smoothly. He supplies everything they need and communications lines are open. They
never encounter any problems.
Mr. Danie performs very well. He is very professional, timely, never missed deadlines, attended
all the required meetings, has great follow through skills, and is very pleasant. Ms. White only
interacts with Mr. Danie on elections but attests that he can easily handle any election related task
and assignment.
The City is required to store election related documents for a specific retention period. Mr. Danie
handles that responsibility and does it well. He always tries to work in a better and more efficient
way. For example, they used to hold separate meetings for various items. Mr. Danie suggested
they consolidate meetings so that the public did not have to come to the Elections Department
multiple times, which was much appreciated by residents.
Ms. White is happy to say that she knows of nothing controversial related to Mr. Danie. Ms.
White's staff members work with Mr. Danie more frequently than she does and they all hold the
same opinion of him.
Ms. White would hire Mr. Danie. She has enjoyed working with him and would hate to see him
leave Miami but she wishes him the best.
Words or phrases used to describe Dwight Danie:
• Professional,
• Courteous,
• Responsible,
• Friendly,
• Efficient, and
• Productive.
Strengths: Approachable, easy personality, wonderful follow through skills, completed every
assignment promptly and perfectly, never lagged in meeting requirements,
performed in all capacities very well.
Weaknesses: None identified.
Page 8 of 14
Reference Notes
Dwight S. Danie
Osmel Lopez — Analyst, City of Miami, FL 305-416-1083
Mr. Lopez reported to Mr. Danie from 1999 to roughly 2004. His responsibilities at the time were
similar to what he is doing now. He works in the IT (Information Technology) department and
the GIS lab. He learned much from Mr. Danie.
Mr. Danie is a very professional person and exerts all of his energy into attaining goals. He hired
good employees. He consistently and frequently made good decisions. He handled every day
decisions related to the budget, projects and the workload.
Mr. Lopez believes that Mr. Danie understands the protocols related to maintaining public records.
They were responsible for adhering to Florida confidentially laws pertaining to data. He might
have a law degree and he understands laws and regulations.
Mr. Danie implemented a system to manage customer requests from grant writers and the general
public. The system allowed them to expedite the request and compute the turnaround time for the
customer. They had deliverables for projects that spanned multiple years. They always completed
projects in the timeframe allocated.
During his tenure Mr. Danie always looked for better ways to work. He maintained the
organization and provided a sense of direction for the staff. He held weekly meetings to keep
everyone informed. He had a great relationship with the elected officials and the public.
Mr. Lopez is not aware of anything controversial related to Mr. Danie. Due to limited funding the
Center was facing closure. Mr. Danie recognized how tenuous their situation was and left for a
different opportunity. Mr. Lopez stayed on and was laid off three months later. Mr. Lopez does
not know anyone who has a negative opinion of Mr. Danie.
Mr. Lopez would hire Mr. Danie. He would be a good City Clerk. Mr. Lopez owes his career
progression to the tutelage of Mr. Danie, he was a great mentor.
Words or phrases used to describe Dwight Danie:
• Smart,
• Dedicated,
• Professional,
• Leadership,
• Understanding, and
• Respectful.
Strengths: Very understanding, set attainable objectives, set expectations with staff and trained
them.
Weaknesses: He sometimes spoke in a way that was not always understandable to some of the
lower level staff members.
Page 9 of 14
Reference Notes
Dwight S. Danie
Walter Foeman — Former City Clerk, Miami, FL 305-460-5207
Mr. Foeman was the City Clerk in Miami but retired and accepted a position in Coral Gables before
Mr. Danie was hired. They have had professional conversations over the years but they have not
worked together. While they do not have a personal friendship their professional relationship has
always been cordial. They have only discussed election related issues. Mr. Foeman has a good
opinion of Mr. Danie but does not know him well enough to provide detailed answers to the
questions asked.
Words or phrases used to describe Dwight Danie:
• Polite,
• Professional,
• Responsive,
• Communicative,
• Detailed, and
• Direct.
Strengths: Very professional, good knowledge of the subject matter.
Weaknesses: None identified.
Prepared by: Lynelle Klein
Colin Baenziger & Associates
Page 10 of 14
CB&A Internet Research
Page 11 of 14
Internet — Newspaper Archives Searches
Dwight Danie
(Articles are in reverse chronological order)
Miami Herald, The (FL)
May 28, 2014
State election board overturns $5,500 fine for former Miami Commissioner Richard P.
Dunn II
Author: Charles Rabin, crabin@MiamiHerald.com
A state elections board has ruled that the Rev. Richard P. Dunn II does not have to pay a $5,500
fine for submitting a late campaign treasurer's report. Dunn traveled to Tallahassee on May 6 to
testify before the Florida Elections Commission, and persuaded the panel to override the fine
handed down by Miami elections coordinator Dwight Danie during a November City
Commission race. Danie fined Dunn $500 a day after determining that he was at fault for
submitting the report 11 days past the Nov. 1 deadline.
FEC board members gave Dunn five minutes to argue his case. He said he accepted full blame
for his paperwork's being late, but he explained there was enough of an "unusual circumstance"
to overturn the fine because his treasurer, Claytosha Owens -Fields, quit just before the third
quarter report was due. An "unusual circumstance" is a technical term used by the FEC that
allows leeway to a candidate for certain campaign -finance reporting errors. Dunn told the board
Owens -Fields became unnerved when she saw her name in print, and quit the campaign. He said
he had to talk her into returning, which was why the report was late but still signed by her.
The board voted 5-3 to overturn Danie's decision to fine the Dunn campaign.
Dunn, senior pastor at Faith Community Baptist Church, lost the November election for Miami's
District 5 City Commission seat to political newcomer Keon Hardemon. Dunn had been
appointed to the District 5 post twice by commissioners. Another time, he won a special election
after a commissioner was removed from office.
Page 12 of 14
Internet — Newspaper Archives Searches
Dwight Danie
(Articles are in reverse chronological order)
Miami Herald, The (FL)
September 26, 2012
Miami Herald, The (FL)
February 3, 2006
WASTE TRUCKS TRASH A LUSH LAWN
Chuck Rabin - crabin@MiamiHerald.com
At least five times in the past 18 months, Dwight Danie has planted shrubbery and new sod in
his front yard because of city of Miami solid -waste truck drivers who steer a little off course.
For some inexplicable reason, the heavy debris trucks veer slightly off Northeast 72nd Street,
puncturing and muddying the turf on Danie's lush, green lawn.
The rest of the lawns on his street seem fine. Danie realizes the problem is minor, but it still
drives him crazy, still creates a mess, and is becoming expensive. "I'm the only one on the street
who gets bent out of shape about it," Danie says, pointing at shrubbery east of his driveway that
was planted to keep the trucks away. "But I think it's just that they're not paying attention.
They're not caring."
The other side of Danie's driveway now sports new sod. There's also a small wire fence that
boasts some string and wood, and little yellow ribbons.
Danie, a past president of the Bayside Residents Association, said city officials began returning
his calls last April. Each time, they promised to send someone to assess the damage, but he never
saw anyone show up, he said.
RESPONSE AT LAST
On Wednesday, a message was left on his voice mail. It was from a solid -waste employee who
said someone went out and took pictures. The caller also said the city driver admitted to driving
on Danie's lawn. No explanation was given.
Mario Soldevilla, who directs the Solid Waste Department, said his department recently has
acquired new equipment - smaller, more efficient trucks - that "staff is becoming familiar with."
Soldevilla said another problem is that the street is extremely narrow.
Agreed. I measured it at 15 feet across. Still, that's not a valid excuse for city workers to be
tearing up private property. Dump trucks and regular garbage trucks are just as big, and Danie
said he hasn't seen them damage his lawn. He's lived there since 1994. "The cleanup after
[Hurricane] Wilma was fine," Danie said of the hired contractors who removed tons of trash
after the storm. "I'm just asking how I can get them to stop. I'm at a loss," he said, pointing to a
sharp, boulder -like rock his neighbor put on his front lawn to keep the trucks away.
Page 13 of 14
Internet — Newspaper Archives Searches
Dwight Danie
(Articles are in reverse chronological order)
FOR CLOSE QUARTERS
Soldevilla said the city has purchased new trucks that will replace the two that now provide the
service. One truck has an arm to pick up the debris; the other acts as a container. "The combo
trucks specifically address the problem of narrow streets, cul-de-sacs and dead end streets
throughout the city," Soldevilla said. "A supervisor went to see the damage caused in this
particular case and the city will be following up with this gentleman soon to begin to resolve this
problem." Sounds fair to me.
Who Promised To Help
Miami Solid Waste Director Mario Soldevilla said the city has purchased new trucks that are
smaller and more efficient. He also said a damage assessment is being made at Danie's home.
Anyone who feels they have a similar problem involving solid waste can contact Soldevilla or
his administrative assistant Lina Blanco at 305-575-5106, ext. 163, or email Iblanco@
miamigov.com.
Completed by:
Keith Knutson
Colin Baenziger & Associates
Page 14 of 14