Maumee City Council unanimously votes to hire James D. MacDonald
He beat out four other finalists for job
10/21/2013Maumee City Council today unanimously voted to hire James D. MacDonald of Maumee as the new police chief, replacing Robert Zink who is retiring.
Chief Zink, 58, was named chief of police in 2001; at that time, he had been a 24-year veteran of the Maumee police division, having been promoted to sergeant in 1986 and to lieutenant with the division in 1996. His retirement was effective Friday.
In his application letter to Mayor Richard Carr, Mr. MacDonald, 56, who has been a Maumee police officer for 25 years, said that "Over the years I have seen many examples of great leadership. What separates the truly successful from the rest is a higher level of commitment and contribution toward the organization's most important goals."
The hiring of MacDonald, who was chosen from a field of candidates that was recently narrowed to four, was effective tonight. He will be paid $84,185 a year.
The new police chief described himself as a hard working, ambitious leader who understands the importance of community connection, professional service, leading by example, and fiscal responsibility. A Rogers High School graduate who earned bachelor and master's degrees from the University of Toledo, Mr. MacDonald has been a lieutenant since 2012. In his application he noted that he was involved in planning route security for the visit by President Obama to Maumee in 2012.