LIMA — For Lima’s administrative staff, 2016 will definitely go down as a year of change.
After multiple years of relative stability among the department heads and personnel in the city’s administration, this year saw multiple retirements, title changes and new hires among the city’s department heads, including such areas as the Fire, Public Works, Utilities and Community Development departments.
“Throughout 2016, we have had pretty dramatic change in staff responsibilities, beginning with the retirement of Lima Fire Chief Mark Heffner, who was replaced by Chief Bruce Black,” Mayor David Berger said.
For Black, the transition was very smooth, as he had several years of experience with the department, serving as a deputy chief before taking over for Heffner. Black also credited the rest of the city’s administrative staff with helping to make assuming his new role a painless experience.
“I had a very good mentor in Chief Heffner,” he said. “The other department heads in the city are a really good group of people to work with, and it makes my job easier with the quality of department heads the city of Lima has.”
The departures in city administration featured some very familiar faces. Also announcing his upcoming retirement on the same day as Heffner, who had served in the department since 1985, was former Utilities Director Gary Sheely, who had 40 years of experience working for the city. Then-deputy director Michael Caprella was soon transitioned into the director’s chair. Taking Caprella’s place in the Utilities Department was Saul Allen, formerly the deputy Public Works Director who handled the streets portion of that department.
“In the Street Department, that set of responsibilities was picked up by Warner Roach, a manager out at Procter and Gamble,” Berger said.
Additionally, former Community Development Director Amy Sackman Odum announced her retirement, which took effect the end of November. The search for her successor led to both her direct replacement, Susan Crotty, as well as Sheretta Smith, who had originally applied for the position but has since been hired as the mayor’s chief of staff. Autumn Swanson was also hired as a new neighborhood specialist in the department.
For Berger, while all of these departures represent a great loss of experience, he expects that the new hires and transfers, which he said affects about half the total staff, will admirably fill the gap.
“It think, in general, it has been successful,” he said. “I appreciate the talents of those who worked with me for a long time and have now retired, but we certainly have very talented people who have stepped in to take on these responsibilities.”
