The first time Joe Stefanov and his wife, Debbie, drove through New Albany, they knew something about the community just felt different.
Once he was hired as city manager, Stefanov found he was better able to articulate what that difference was: a combination of things, from the leisure trail system, to the green space, to the style of architecture.
“It’s the attention to detail that, more than anything, differentiates the feel you get as you drive into the community,” Stefanov says.
Now with the city since 2000, Stefanov, 52, has had a chance to see it grow in ways he is proud of. Much of that pride comes from appreciating his co-workers.
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Joe Stefanov, photo by Scott Cunningham
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The Stefanov family, from left to right: Lauren, Joe, Debbie and Joe Jr. Photo courtesy of Joe Stefanov
“We have a group of people here who are just outstanding in terms of their dedication, in terms of their commitment to producing a high-quality work product, their attention to customer service and their desire to build an outstanding community,” he says.
When Stefanov first came to New Albany, the business park – an integral part of the city’s revenue – was about a quarter of the size it is today. And as the city’s reputation grew, it continued to attract high-caliber people to work there.
For Stefanov, New Albany’s success comes from not only the people who work for the city, but those who work with them. He points to collaborative working relationships with public and private sector partners as something for which New Albany is known.
Of course, the most recent example of such a partnership is the Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany, brought about by a team including the New Albany Company, The Ohio State University, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Healthy New Albany and the city.
“It was a unique funding model,” Stefanov says.
As New Albany grows, Stefanov says he wants the city to retain its small-town feel while
Stefanov with his wife, Debbie; photo courtesy of Joe Stefanov
emphasizing the planning that he says is one of the foundational elements of the city’s success. A decade or two out, he expects to see the village center grow developmentally, building residential uses to support retail amenities and other types of services.
Stefanov can trace his interest in local government to his parents. His father was a police officer, and his mother was a substitute teacher. Stefanov and his brother, Bob, were proud of their parents’ professions. From an early age, Stefanov felt there was value in public service and making an effort to improve people’s lives. It was something both brothers would hold with them as they grew into adults. Bob, now deceased, became a police officer.
At a macro level, Stefanov was also affected by the time in which he lived. The 1970s was a period of pessimism in the U.S., he says, while the mid-to-late 1980s was largely a time of optimism and rebirth.
“I was able to see what a positive impact a person can have on their community,” he says.
Stefanov’s childhood impression of politics left him with the desire to think creatively about government services. Later, it was that desire for something different that drew him to New Albany.
But first, there was grade school, where Stefanov discovered an interest in American history.
Photo by Scott Cunningham
Growing up in the greater Cleveland area, Stefanov worked at a family-owned grocery store during high school and college at Cleveland State University. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in economics, doing an internship at the Ohio Office of Budget and Management in Columbus his senior year.
Post-college, Stefanov began applying to government jobs at the state and local levels with unsuccessful results. His supermarket experience landed him a job in sales selling grocery-type items.
The next several years would find Stefanov in a career primarily devoted to sales, until he ultimately decided to return to graduate school on a part-time basis. By this time, he was regularly attending Parma City Council meetings, getting to know council members. When a position opened up on the Civil Service Commission, Stefanov was asked if he was interested. He served as civil service commissioner and ADA coordinator starting in 1990.
It took about four and a half years to complete, but in 1995, Stefanov earned a master’s degree from CSU in public administration with a focus on economic development. Shortly after he graduated, he began working for the village of Fayette as village administrator, a position he held from 1996 to 2000, when he came to New Albany.
Since he started working with the city, Stefanov has lived in Gahanna with Debbie. The couple will have been married 29 years come August. Together they have two children: daughter Lauren, 27, and son Joe, 26.
During the summer, Stefanov and his wife enjoy bike riding. They walk together, too; Stefanov enjoys the New Albany walking trails and Academy Park in Gahanna.
“I really like to be out in nature,” he says.
Stefanov has another motivation for daily walks: his lab shepherd mix, which follows him around the house each evening until they go for their regular half-hour walk.
Since the Heit Center opened, Stefanov has been a member. He completed an assessment and now exercises there several times a week. He used to work out in his basement, but over the years his, different injuries developed into chronic aches and pains. At the Heit Center, Stefanov was given a workout regimen that helped him alleviate much of his discomfort. A year later, he’s doing strength and cardio training.
“It’s been a great experience for me,” he says.
Sarah Sole is an editor. Feedback welcome at ssole@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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