WESTERVILLE — Westerville City Council announces Monica Irelan of Painesville, Ohio will replace retiring City Manager David Collinsworth as Westerville’s 16th city manager. Irelan was appointed on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at a special meeting of council.

Irelan has been city manager in Painesville for four years. Prior to that, she held city management positions in the cities of Troy, Grosse Pointe Farms in Michigan and the City of Napoleon, Ohio. Irelan holds a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and legal certificate from the University of Detroit Mercy and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Wayne State University in Detroit.

Irelan is the first woman to hold the position of city manager in Westerville. She is expected to start in Westerville January 4, 2021. Irelan will then appoint an assistant city manager to replace Julie Colley, who retires in late January 2021.

In Painesville, Irelan managed a $77 million city budget, including municipal utilities (water, electric and sewer), public safety (police, fire), public works, building/zoning, parks and recreation, and economic and community development. Irelan has received several awards, including Outstanding Leader in Revitalization from Heritage Ohio in 2019 for her work in Painesville.

“I am incredibly honored to be selected as the next city manager in Westerville,” said Irelan. “Westerville has a tradition of high-functioning, long-term city managers, and I am excited to join that rank. I’m excited to get to work with the amazing team that already exists in Westerville. That includes council, staff and the numerous community organizations.”

Westerville City Council Chairman Mike Heyeck said Council was pleased with the extensive candidate pool, and saw Irelan as a standout with her professional training as well as her experience with the full spectrum of municipal services and utilities similar to Westerville.

“Westerville was one of the first cities in the state to adopt the council/manager form of government, and this community has been well-run as a result for more than a century,” said Heyeck. “Monica is not only the first woman to lead Westerville from this position but also is the right fit based on her service record and expertise.”

Collinsworth and Colley announced their retirements last April. An executive search began this summer for the city manager position, resulting in three finalists, including Adam Maxwell, Westerville director of administrative services, and Matt Greeson, city manager, Worthington.

Irelan will relocate to the city of Westerville with her husband, Steve, and their son, Noah.

For more information on the city of Westerville, please visit www.westerville.org.