Oakwood narrows city manager search to 4 finalists, including local candidates

Oakwood initially drew a field of 23 applicants for the position before narrowing the field to these four. The following information is from the application materials the candidates submitted to the city.

Robert Jacques has been law director for the city of Oakwood since 2011. He graduated from Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law and worked at several Dayton-area law firms before joining the city government. In his letter to the city, Jacques said his “legal expertise and leadership experience equip [him] to oversee city operations, manage departmental interactions, and maintain the high standards that [Oakwood] residents rightly expect.” Jacques is the only internal candidate.

Katie Smiddy is the financial director for the city of Springdale, near Cincinnati. Previously, she has worked for Butler County, the city of Montgomery, and Hamilton County, where she was chief financial officer of the Community Action agency. In her letter to Oakwood, she said she is a “seasoned, energetic leader who is dedicated to the municipal management profession and is prepared to make a long term commitment to the city of Oakwood.”

Patrick Turnbull is the public works director for Centerville. He was an engineer for the U.S. Navy and Miami County, along with other civil engineering firms. He has a master’s degree in public affairs from Wright State University, and has worked as the director of environmental services for Montgomery County. In his letter, he said he looks “forward to the opportunity to provide essential services to city residents.”

Dan Wendt was the city manager of Vandalia until he resigned from the position in June after some turmoil. Vandalia’s City Council pointed to conflicts with Wendt over management style and other issues while some existing and former co-workers spoke up on his behalf. Wendt previously worked for Fairfield as an assistant city manager, and for Norwalk, as director of public safety and service. He said in his letter that he seeks “to improve quality-of-life for [Oakwood] residents and visitors.”