DANC search ongoing

The Development Authority of the North Country will interview five candidates to replace its outgoing executive director, and a downstate blogger said he believes former state Sen. James W. Wright is one of them.

Carl Brinker, who writes the politically oriented blog DaBrinker Report, wrote on his Web site that Mr. Wright had a scheduled interview with the authority Monday.

Mr. Wright, a co-chairman and lobbyist for Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations, would neither confirm nor deny that he had a scheduled interview or that he was interested in replacing Robert S. Juravich, who is retiring March 31.

The former senator referred questions to the authority, saying he was not going to allow the newspaper to interview him.

Thomas H. Hefferon, the DANC board chairman, said the authority's attorney has advised board members that applicants have a right to privacy and that they do not have to reveal which candidates expressed interest in the job.

Mr. Hefferon said more than 50 people applied for the executive director position and that the six-member selection committee whittled the list to five to 10 finalists.

The board chairman said the committee started interviewing candidates Monday, but declined to say if Mr. Wright was involved.

Mr. Hefferon said the process likely would continue today.

Mr. Hefferon also said some finalists may be called for follow-up interviews with board members who are not on the selection committee.

"We're being very deliberate," he said.

Mr. Hefferon was unsure if the committee's pick would be seated by April 1.

"We're shooting for when Bob leaves," he said. "It's going to be hard to get it done by that time."

Mr. Juravich and Thomas R. Sauter, the authority's deputy executive director, did not return phone calls seeking comment Monday.

Mr. Wright, a Republican, was first elected to the 48th District Senate seat in 1992.

Mr. Wright served as chairman of the Senate Energy Committee and made $92,000 annually when he resigned in January 2008.

He said at the time of his resignation that the Fleishman job paid more, but did not specify an amount.

The authority, in a classified advertisement, said the executive director position could pay up to $150,000.

The state Commission on Public Integrity reports Mr. Wright is scheduled to lobby for Fleishman-Hillard on behalf of two clients in 2009-10. The former senator will lobby the state Department of Environmental Conservation on behalf of National Solid Wastes Management Association, Westborough, Mass.

Mr. Wright also will "attempt to resolve a lease issue and secure a lease" for 216 W. 18th Street Owners Corp., New York City.

Fleishman-Hillard will be paid $6,750 per month for the first contract, which runs until Aug. 1, and $7,500 per month for the second, which runs through March 31.