Wes Kroninger
One has worked for the City of Dublin since 1988, when the small community was transitioning from a village. The other uprooted in 2013 for the life-changing opportunity to work for the City’s top-flight school district. Both have a strong vision for their home.
Todd Hoadley, Dublin City Schools’ superintendent, grew up in Bloomdale, a small village in northern Ohio. He was the son of a school teacher and a farmer, both graduates of The Ohio State University, and education was always a priority in his household.
“It was a household where it was really expected that you find a pathway in life where you could help other people,” Hoadley says.
Hoadley, a self-described “zealot” for public education, went on to get his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at Bowling Green State University. He was a high school principal in Defiance and later a superintendent at Van Buren Local Schools, just north of Findlay. This was followed by a nine-year stint in a suburb near Cleveland, where he was superintendent for Olmsted Falls City Schools
“I would still be there today if it weren’t for this opportunity,” Hoadley says. “When you’re given the opportunity to come to Dublin, you take that very seriously.”
And Hoadley did take it seriously. He was hired in March 2013 and started work that August. He moved his family – his wife and four children – to Dublin. Having never lived in central Ohio, he says the area always appealed to him whenever he would visit Columbus for academic conferences or to watch a Buckeyes game.
When his three younger children were enrolled in Dublin City Schools – the oldest is a sophomore at OSU – he says the other students welcomed them with open arms.
“They made a great transition. Because of all the Fortune 500 companies that have their headquarters here, Dublin has empathy toward new students,” Hoadley says.
Switching to a school district with a student body of fewer than 4,000 to one with more than 15,000 did present challenges, Hoadley says. One of his more humorous obstacles involved learning the names and locations of more than 20 different buildings.
“Driving around, I got lost several times,” he says.
Hoadley’s goals as Dublin’s superintendent stem directly from his three core principles for leadership: collaboration, appreciation and trust.
He says he wants to work hand-in-hand with the school system and the community, all for the benefit of the children.
“If we can ensure that every child is successful, we can be a model for public education,” he says. “(Dublin City Schools) is a district that people care about deeply. Parents are very involved in the school system.”
It goes along with one of his mottos: “We are always going to make better decisions than me.”
Personalizing education for every child is another priority.
“Every child is unique and has different learning interests,” Hoadley says. “We want to equip teachers with technology and integrate it into the learning process.”
Like Hoadley, City Manager Dana McDaniel found guidance from his family. Growing up just south of Dayton in Franklin, McDaniel says his mother was an inspiration.
“My interest in local government came from my mother’s involvement in the community,” he says. “She volunteered a lot. She wasn’t an elected official. She was involved in our school system, and as a result of her being busy in the community, the rest of the family helped out, and that process exposed me to local government.”
He went on to attend Miami University, where he focused on international studies before switching to public administration. He interned for the city of Lebanon, Ohio, and then moved to Columbus to earn a master’s degree in public administration at OSU’s John Glenn School of Public Affairs. While earning his degree, he interned with the city of Gahanna department of service.
“I really found local government to be kind of a convergence of everything,” McDaniel says. “I like the generalist approach it takes to be in local government. It’s like running a business in a lot of ways. It’s a great blend to be a public servant and also working in this democratic process.”
When McDaniel came to work for the City of Dublin in 1988 as the city’s first management assistant, the city had about 65 employees. Now, McDaniel says, it’s closer to 400. McDaniel arrived just as Dublin was transitioning from a village to a city.
“I’ve been able to see the growth in the organization,” he says. “The challenging but fun thing about that was to come here in a time when the city was experiencing rapid growth, and we were trying to keep up with the growth.”
As the City’s first service director, he spent 12 years building the department before transitioning to the position of director of economic development in 2004. He was unanimously selected to take over as city manager and officially began his new job Jan. 31.
“Now I’m starting my third career in the same city,” he says. “I often do mentoring with undergrad students at the John Glenn School, and what I tell students is that it’s rare for someone to have this career that I’ve had. I’m blessed to have had it. I’ve been very fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time.”
McDaniel, who has a wife and two daughters, says he plans to keep up with Dublin’s “traditions of excellence” as his career progresses.
“I want to remain customer-focused and provide a high-quality level of service to our residents,” he says. “We need to retain momentum on our projects. I want to continue to earn the public’s trust. I’m very proud of being a public servant. Our employees are the same way, and we’re going to work hard every day to keep the city out front and competitive at a regional, national and global level.”
Hannah Bealer is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at hbealer@cityscenecolumbus.com.
