Former County Administrator, UD professor Don Vermillion dies at 68

Don Vermillion

Don Vermillion

Former Montgomery County administrator and Miamisburg city manager Don Vermillion died Friday at the age of 68.

Vermillion served in local government for parts of three decades, holding the post of assistant city manager for Miamisburg (1973-1976) until becoming city manager there from 1976-1979.

From 1979-1988 he served as Montgomery County deputy administrator and eventually went on to become the Montgomery County administrator for nine years (1988-1997).

Vermillion graduated from Miami University with a degree in political science. He went on to complete his master’s degree in public administration from Kansas University.

After finishing his career in public service, Vermillion joined the University of Dayton as a professor in the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community and Political Science.

According to the organization, “he was committed to inspiring the next generation of community leaders.”

The university’s website states that Vermillion “spent the past several years working with projects of the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community, including the Dayton Neighborhood School Centers Program, working with the cohorts of UD’s Dayton Civic Scholars, and serving from time to time as executive search consultant for local governments in the State of Ohio. He rejoined the Department of Political Science as Executive in Residence in 2018.”

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In 2013, Vermillion’s expertise in local government was needed, as he was hired as a consultant by Vandalia to help in the city’s search for a new city manager.

He was also responsible for providing the new city manager (Jon Crusey was eventually selected for the post) with “synopsis reports on issues and pending business, financial reports, departmental briefing sheets prior to new city manager being sworn in,” according to his agreement with the city.

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Vermillion is survived by his wife Laima Rastikis of Kettering and his son Christopher Vermillion of Kettering, and a daughter Stephanie Vermillion of Hoboken, New Jersey. He is also survived by his mother Mary Eleanor Vermillion of Lima, and sister, Jan Schuster of Springboro.

A gathering of friends will be held for Vermillion from 9 to 11 a.m., Monday July 30, 2018 at the Tobias Funeral Home - Far Hills Chapel, 5471 Far Hills Ave. at Rahn Rd. It will be immediately followed by a Memorial Mass at noon at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church, 3033 Far Hills Ave.

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In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be sent please to the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community at the University of Dayton, 300 College Park Dayton, OH 45469-7052.

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