Lt. MacDonald hired as Maumee police chief
10/22/2013Maumee City Council on Monday night voted unanimously to hire James D. MacDonald of Maumee as 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 took effect Friday.
In his application letter to Mayor Richard Carr, Chief MacDonald, 56, who has been a Maumee police officer for 25 years, said, “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 Chief MacDonald, among a field of candidates recently narrowed to four, took effect Monday night. 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 grad who received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Toledo, Chief 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.