Plain City officials have narrowed their administrator search to two top candidates – a familiar face and a new one.
Finalists for the position include the interim Village Administrator Haley Lupton and Richard Downey, who currently serves as a Village Administrator in Wisconsin.
Plain City Mayor Jody Carney said the village received 30 applications for the position.
She said officials hoped for 25 candidates, but “weren’t quite sure what to expect” given the availability of positions in the current job market.
“We were pleased with the candidates we did receive,” Carney said.
Under the guidance of consulting firm Management Partners, the village formed an Administrator Search Committee consisting of Carney, Council member Kerri Ferguson, Former Council member and Resident Lauren Giaimo, Resident Justin Brammer, Finance Director Renee Sonnett and Plain City Police Department Chief Dale McKee.
Through meetings with village staff members, residents and local business owners, Carney said the committee formed a “profile” for the position.
Along with the technical capabilities needed, Carney said the group prioritized finding a candidate who is “community minded” and desires to engage with area businesses and civic organizations as Plain City grows.
Based on those attributes, the committee narrowed the field to five candidates that were brought in for an initial interview.
The field was then slimmed down to Downey and Lupton, who will be interviewed by council in a second round.
In his application, Downey describes himself as “an experienced professional government administrator with many years of experience in local government.”
Downey has served as the Village Administrator of Kronenwetter, a village of approximately 8,000 residents near Wausau, Wisconsin, since 2012.
In his current position, Downey said he manages a $10-million budget and worked on a financial management plan and budget forecast.
He was also part of a team that managed tax increment districts involving business development and home development, and negotiated a number of collective bargaining agreements.
Downey noted that he created community ties through developing new events, such as a “Movie Under the Stars” program.
Along with Kronenwetter, Downey served as the administrator for the City of Washington, Illinois from May 2011 to July 2011 (he said he left this position after two months due to a determination he “could not ethically continue with the organization”); the City of Rock Falls, Illinois from May 2003 to May 2011; and the City of Elkhart, Kansas from May 2000 to April 2003.
Downey holds a master of public administration from Central Michigan University and a bachelor of arts in political science from Kent State University. He is also a Human Resources Certified Professional.
Lupton has served as the acting village administrator since October 2021. She was appointed to the position by council following the resignation of Former Administrator Nathan Cahall.
In her application, Lupton wrote that she believes she is “uniquely qualified to become the permanent village administrator for Plain City” due to her experience in the interim position.
Since moving from her role as management analyst and council clerk to village administrator, Lupton said she has facilitated the expansion of Plain City’s wastewater treatment plant, an Uptown design plan project, a streetscape engineering project and a village branding project. She said “all remained on or ahead of schedule” under her leadership.
Prior to joining village staff in January 2021, Lupton worked as a community development analyst for the State of Ohio Development Services Agency from March 2019 to January 2021; Assistant Director of Real Estate for the Franklin County Auditor from January 2017 to March 2019; and Board of Revision Clerk and Supervisor for the Franklin County Auditor from Jan 2016 to March 2019.
Lupton holds a master of public administration from Cleveland State University and a bachelor’s degree in communication, with a minor in political science, from The Ohio State University.
She is also a member of the Ohio Municipal Clerks Association and the International City/County Management Association.
Council recently scheduled final interviews for each candidate on May 11 and May 16.
Carney said she feels a recommendation for hiring could come before council at its May 23 meeting. She said council is on track to meet its goal of extending an offer before the end of May.
The mayor said she understands the search process took several months, but felt it was necessary to do “our due diligence” and have the right leader moving forward.
“It may have taken what feels like a while, but we are pleased with the process we went through,” she said.