Second job posting landed Ahmed for county

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When the first round of applicants didn’t produce a suitable candidate for the Delaware County administrator job, the county posted the job again early this month.

That’s how Ferzan M. Ahmed came to be officially named county administrator by county commissioners on Monday. County officials announced his appointment last Friday.

Ahmed will start his new job on April 11, replacing Tim Hansley who retired Jan. 15.

Early in the year, commissioners posted the job opening and received 30 resumes from applicants. In mid-February, the county indicated that two finalists had been chosen from the 30 applicants.

However, the two finalists didn’t meet the expectations that commissioners had set for the next administrator, Commission President Barb Lewis said earlier this week. “They did not work out, not a good fit for either candidate or the commission,” Lewis said.

To continue the search for an administrator, the county’s human resources department decided to re-post the position to the county’s website, as the original posting had been. “The position was re-posted to the county website March 4 … and left open until filled,” county human resources director Dawn Huston said.

According to Huston, the county received 13 complete and three incomplete resumes from the re-posting.

“Human resources still had authority to re-post since the position was still open,” according to Jane Hawes, the county’s communications manager.

Lewis said she had met Ahmed during a project with which she was involved in Genoa Township when she was a trustee. “He helped install a traffic light in Genoa,” she said. “I got the feeling he was knowledgeable and easy to talk with.”

During commissioners’ search for a new administrator, Ahmed’s name was mentioned, Lewis said. “His name did come up that he would be a great county administrator,” Lewis said.

Of the 13 completed resumes produced by the second posting, Ahmed’s resume was the only one reviewed by commissioners, Lewis said. “I don’t recall seeing any other resumes after the re-posting,” Lewis said.

Commissioners’ vision was to place someone in the position who could lead Delaware County to the next level, officials said. “We felt Ahmed’s leadership and management skills could take Delaware County to the next level,” Lewis said.

Ahmed is currently employed as deputy director with the Ohio Department of Transportation, responsible for overseeing the daily operations of District 6 since 2011. According to ODOT’s website, the district is made up of eight counties, including Delaware County, and is responsible for 4,921 lane miles of road and 1,557 bridges.

Ahmed’s starting annual salary will be $130,000.

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By D. Anthony Botkin

[email protected]

D. Anthony Botkin may be reached at 740-413-0902 or on Twitter @dabotkin.

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