By Dedra Cordle
Staff Writer
Jackson Township has found its new administrator.
At a special meeting on Sept. 28, the board of trustees announced they had hired Shane Farnsworth to be the chief administrative officer of the township.
“We were impressed by his knowledge of local governance, his expertise and his experience in zoning and budgets,” said board chairman David Burris.
According to his resume, Farnsworth has been working for nearly 20 years in a variety of local government positions.
With a master’s degree in public policy and management from The Ohio State University, Farnsworth began his career as a development planner for the Clark County Board of Commissioners in 1999. Nearly five years later, he held the position as planning director for the board of commissioners and then became the economic development director for the Fairfield County Commissioners in 2010.
In 2014, he was named as the business development manager in Lee County, Fla., and in 2016 came back to Ohio to become the director of development in Morrow County. He held that position until he accepted the offer to become the administrator for Jackson Township.
Farnsworth said after the regular board meeting on Oct. 2 that he looked forward to his new position.
“I’m very excited to be working here in Jackson Township,” said the Clintonville resident.
He said he applied for the position after researching the township and realized the potential of its growth.
“This is a great community, a growing community and I look forward to being a part of what will be going on in its future.”
The hiring process of a new township administrator has not been a quick one. Upon the retirement of long-time administrator Mike Lilly last year, the board began looking for candidates but were unable to reach a consensus. Burris said at that time that having all three trustees on board with a candidate was an imperative.
In June, the board hired the Cincinnati-based Novak Consulting Group to find qualified candidates throughout the region. According to Burris, the group recommended 20 people for the position and the board narrowed that pool down to five.
“We had five extremely qualified candidates but Shane really rose to the top of the list,” he said.
Farnsworth’s first day in his new position was Oct. 1. His starting salary with benefits will be $80,000.
