MORROW COUNTY- Morrow County Commissioners approved Jamie Brucker for the new position of County Operations Manager at their September 7 meeting.
Commissioner Tim Siegfried said it is an administrative position and will combine the work of Development Director Andy Ware who is retiring with the overall operations for the county.
Brucker is presently Mayor of Mount Gilead. He said he will step down from the job at the end of September to avoid any conflict of interest.
President of the Village Council Emily Shaffer will fill that role as allowed by the Ohio Revised Code until the term ends December 2023.
“This work as Operations Manager will require my full time attention so I will also be stepping down from Snyder Funeral Service on September 16,” Brucker said.
Shaffer said she has agreed to finish Brucker’s last year in the office of Mayor.
“Jamie has been a wonderful mayor,” Shaffer said. “He really stepped up to the plate, especially during the pandemic.”
Shaffer said he did a lot of work in getting grants for the village to get things needed for the village during and after the pandemic.
Shaffer’s change in position will create a vacancy to be filled on council.
Brucker looks forward to this new post with enthusiasm.
“I’ll be doing many of the things I’ve been doing as Mayor in the village and serving the entire county,” said Brucker. “I’ll be working to steer the growth and helping plan for the growth in the county.”
A large part of his work will be managing grants and contracts for the county. He will also be working with the county budget and as liaison with the county departments, officials and commissioners.
“One of the tasks will be helping create a clearer path to how we develop with growth and change that is coming,” Added Brucker.
Another goal will be to work with all areas and villages in the county without favoritism so no area is left out. He also believes it is important to work on education and communication so people are aware of opportunities, planning and projects.
Brucker sees growth and change as inevitable for Morrow County and at the same time wants to preserve the best of what the county has to offer.
“Change is coming and I like our small town,” said Brucker. “I don’t want to see too much change.”
