Finkbeiner fills parks, finance positions

12/30/2005

Richard Boers, a retired commissioner of parks for the city, will return as interim director of parks, recreation, and forestry, Mayor-elect Carty Finkbeiner announced yesterday.

At the same news conference, Mr. Finkbeiner's chief of staff, Robert Reinbolt, announced the appointment of John Sherburne, a commissioner in the utilities department, as director of finance.

Mr. Boers, 64, was hired by the city parks division in 1964 and served as commissioner of parks, forestry, and open space planning from 1966 until he retired in 1995.

Mr. Finkbeiner said Mr. Boers was persuaded to come out of retirement. He replaces Kattie Bond, acting director of parks since December, 2002. Mr. Reinbolt said Ms. Bond probably would be named to a position in another department.

Mr. Sherburne, 57, has held a variety of finance and accounting posts in the city. He was commissioner of accounting from 1984 to 1987, then left to work in private industry and for the city of Monroe until 1999.

In 2000, he was hired as commissioner of economic development. Mr. Sherburne was transferred in 2004 to the Department of Public Utilities for fiscal oversight of the $450 million Toledo Waterways Initiative.

Mr. Finkbeiner also announced he will have co-managers of the youth commission. He said he would keep Traci Jadlos, 35, Mayor Jack Ford's appointee, to work with college-age youth and recent college graduates to combat "brain drain" - the loss of educated young people from Toledo.

He said he would appoint Dwayne Morehead, 32, a utilities worker and former city recreation assistant, as co-manager to work with inner-city youth. Mr. Moorhead was an active volunteer in Mr. Finkbeiner's election campaign.

Still not decided yesterday was a replacement for city Law Director Barb Herring, who has announced she will retire when Mr. Ford leaves office. Mr. Reinbolt said an acting law director would probably be appointed.

In recent weeks, the mayor-elect and Mr. Reinbolt have named directors of public utilities, human resources, public service, neighborhoods, information technology, fire, and police, and two assistant chief operating officers.

Mr. Reinbolt refused to release the names of 17 Ford administration appointees, including some executive secretaries, who have been notified that their employment with the city would end when Mr. Finkbeiner takes office Tuesday.

The 17 were among 81 directors, commissioners, mayor's assistants, and exempt secretaries invited several weeks ago to reapply or lose their jobs.

John Loftus, a spokesman for Mr. Ford, said he has not seen a list. He said some people who got termination letters had not applied for positions in the Finkbeiner administration, including himself.