Reynoldsburg city service director resigns

By Christine Bryant
Staff Writer

Long-time Reynoldsburg resident and  the city’s service director Nathan Burd is leaving his post and heading north.

Burd’s final day working for the city of Reynoldsburg will be March 4. Afterward, he will pack up and move to Michigan, where he has been hired as the village administrator for the community of Wolverine Lake – an irony not lost on Burd, considering his local ties.

“As a rabid Ohio State football fan and a graduate of The Ohio State University, this will be a very interesting endeavor,” Burd said.

As a resident curious about his own local government, Burd attended his first city council meeting nearly 13 years ago.

It was that interest in the function of small community government that led to his work on several board and commissions before deciding to run for council in 2009.

After serving as chairman of the 2007 Charter Review Commission, in 2009, Burd was elected as an at-large member of city council – a position he held until November 2012. He also served as president pro-tempore in 2012 before becoming service director for the city in November of that year.

The first large project he managed as service director – Brice Road construction – is one of the projects of which he is most proud, along with a state grant the city secured to complete a similar project along Livingston Avenue this year, he said.

“Brice and Livingston are a very important part of the city and I’m thankful that we’ve been able to significantly improve our infrastructure there,” he said.

Burd’s work in the service department also led to the removal of damaged brick crosswalks on Main Street through Olde Reynoldsburg.

“That project snarled up traffic for a few weeks, but I’m glad people were patient with us because the finished product is helpful to the area,” he said. “We also constructed a small public parking lot in Olde Reynoldsburg last year, and this is one small step toward making it easier for people to visit the businesses in that area.”

Burd has worked to facilitate the replacement of older water lines in the city, which he says will continue annually to ensure the water infrastructure stays in top condition.

Mayor Brad McCloud said Burd has been a tireless servant and advocate for the city.

“He has demonstrated leadership and dedication to making our city a better place to live, work and do business,” McCloud said. “His talents will be sorely missed.”

Burd says although he’s worked to identify problems and find ways to solve them, numerous people are involved in completing projects successfully.

“We have a dedicated team of public servants that work hard for this city,” he said.

Despite going to work in that state up north, Burd says his new position provides a new career opportunity and the residents there have been welcoming.

“Although I’m excited to get started up there, I will miss the city of Reynoldsburg and working with Mayor McCloud and all of my colleagues,” he said. “But since I’ll only be about four hours away, there is a good chance that I’ll stop by to visit from time to time.”