Delaware County Commissioners name 3-member team to replace county administrator

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The Delaware County Board of Commissioners announced Thursday that a team of three administrators will replace their departing county administrator.

According to a press release issued by the county, the team of Michael Frommer, executive director of the Regional Sewer District; Dawn Huston, administrative services director; and Seiji Kille, fiscal services director, will replace County Administrator Ferzan Ahmed. He announced his resignation in October.

Ahmed said he is leaving to take a job in the private sector. His last day is Friday, Nov. 10. Ahmed’s final salary was $140,000.

According to the release, commissioners Jeff Benton, Gary Merrell, and Barb Lewis made the decision to change the leadership structure in October after Ahmed announced his resignation.

“(Commissioners) felt the time was right to pause and think about how to best structure and position the organization for future success,” said Benton, president of the board of commissioners. “Our office’s operations will be headed by a team of three experienced directors who are already in place here. … Our other directors and department heads will each report to one of these three administrators.”

For executive purposes, Frommer will carry the title of county administrator, which will allow him to function as the legal representative for the commissioners. His salary will be $140,000.

Huston and Kille will each hold the title of deputy administrator. Their salaries will each be $109,503.

There is no change in salary for Frommer, Huston, and Kille, according to Communications Manager Jane Hawes.

Benton said the new structure better reflects how the commissioners’ office already functions and communicates, while also streamlining decision-making processes and improving operational efficiency.

“In reality, our operations won’t change significantly, but we think that formalizing this structure will make it easier for the public to access leadership when they need to, while also making sure we don’t overburden one administrator with too many people reporting directly to her or him,” Benton said.

Frommer, who joined the county in February 2015 after a private-sector career in sanitary engineering, will continue to function as the Regional Sewer District’s executive director and will oversee a grouping of departments that will be known as the Office of Infrastructure and Development. This will include the county’s Economic Development and Code Compliance departments and its Solid Waste Transfer Station.

Huston, who has been with the county for 25 years, will head the Office of Administration, Human Resources and Insurance/Risk, which will include those departments along with the Child Support Enforcement Agency, Records Center, and the Job & Family Services and Communications departments.

Kille, who has been employed by Delaware County for 16 years and previously by the State of Ohio Auditor’s Office for five years, will lead the Office of Management and Budget. The departments of Fiscal Services, Emergency Communications, Emergency Medical Services, Safety & Security, Public Defender, Dog Warden, Facilities/Maintenance, and the Clerks to the commissioners will report to him.

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Gazette Staff

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