4 Finalists for Delaware City Manager Position

The City of Delaware City Council has identified four finalists for consideration to be Delaware’s next city manager. The four possess varied backgrounds and experiences, each bringing unique skill sets and qualifications. In alphabetical order, the four are:

• Paul Brake, former city manager of Royal Oak, Michigan. Brake served as city manager in Royal Oak for more than 3 ½ years and prior to that was a city and/or county manager in Morgantown, W.V., Grand Blanc, M.I., and Shiawassee County, M.I. He is a member of International City/County Management Association (ICMA), ICMA-CM (Credentialed Manager), a member of the Michigan Municipal Executives and a Certified Economic Developer.
• Christopher Miller, former county manager of King George County, Virginia. Miller managed for approximately 3 years. He previously was county or city manager in three jurisdictions in Colorado and Alabama and served as executive director of the Northeast Texas Regional Transportation Agency and Southeast (Alabama) Planning Commission Council of Governments. He is an ICMA member.
• Paul Oberdorfer is the current city manager of Piqua, Ohio, and has held the position for more than 3 years. Oberdorfer has 14 years of executive level experience serving as a deputy city manager and public works director in Charlottesville, V.A., director of public service in Green, Ohio, and facilities manager for the State of Ohio. He is an ICMA member and belongs to the Ohio City/County Management Association (OCMA).
• Mike Reese served as city manager in Maplewood, Missouri, for two years. Reese has 19 years of executive level experience, including for the City of Columbus as Chief of Staff for Mayor Michael Colemen. He is a member of St. Louis Area City Management Association (SLACMA).

Delaware City Council hopes to have a new city manager identified in June.  Current manager Tom Homan announced in 2023 his intention to retire in July after serving 26 years in Delaware.

The next phase of the selection process will involve interviews with the City Council, meetings with staff, feedback from a community panel and a reception at City Hall for the community, hosted by the Council.  The community panel includes representatives from Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware City Schools, Delaware County, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, Sustainable Delaware, the African American Heritage Council, the Strand Theater Board, the Delaware Chamber of Commerce and the downtown business community.