Clayton city manager announces retirement, search firm hired

The city of Clayton will seek a new city manager after Richard Rose announced his retirement.

Rose announced at the council meeting Thursday night that he will retire at the end of his contract, which is up in March. Rose, who is paid $126,000 per year, became city manager in February 2014.

“It truly has been an honor and a pleasure to be an integral participant in the growth of this young community,” Rose said. “There is much I will miss about the job and the relationships.”

Rose was named city manager after former city manager David Rowlands announced he was taking a position in his home state of California.

Rose spent 10 years as the director of public safety from January 2004 to January 2014. The public safety position was eliminated after he became city manager, and the fire and police departments named their own chiefs.

“Good residents, hard-working staff, and savvy, community minded elected officials all share in the accomplishments,” Rose said. “Clayton is poised to continue to grow in these areas.”

Rose credits staff for the city having the lowest crime rates for cities of more than 10,000 in population in Montgomery County and credits Northmont school officials for keeping an excellent school system.

The city approved a resolution at the council meeting to spend $17,990 to enter into a contract with Management Partners to help recruit outside candidates for the city manager position.

Rose came to Clayton after spending 23 years as a police officer for the city of Springfield.

“During my tenure in Clayton, I served on the executive committee of the Miami Valley Fire Alliance as well as an active member of the Montgomery County Chiefs of Police Association and served on several different law enforcement related boards and committees,” Rose said.

He started his career in the public sector in June 1980 after completing four years in the military.

“My career goals were to always work hard, do what is right even when no one is looking, live by the Golden Rule and try and take it to the next level,” Rose said. “It seemed to work for me.”

Rose has a bachelor’s degree in business from Urbana University and has numerous management and leadership courses.

He is married to Lori, his wife of 30 years, with two grown twins, Nicholas and Amanda.

“I am looking forward to working on my golf game, catching up on a very extensive and overdue ‘honey-do list,’ as well as traveling a little more to see my daughter, who recently moved to Charleston, South Carolina,” Rose said.

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