Township Administrator’s Retirement Brings Leadership Change

Gary Huff Retires After 12 Years as Township Administrator

Township Administrator Gary Huff will retire January 31 following 24 years with Washington Township, 12 of them as administrator. Succeeding him is Jesse Lightle, who has served as deputy administrator for the past 18 months.

Few things stay the same throughout a career. But for Township Administrator Gary Huff, growth and development has been a consistent and reliable feature of his 24 years with Washington Township.

Huff was hired in 1984 as director of zoning and development for unincorporated Washington Township, the fastest growing area in Montgomery County. When he retires at the end of January, growth and development still will be outpacing that of other communities.

As township administrator for the past 12 years, Huff knows firsthand that managing sizeable growth presents a variety of service delivery challenges for local governments which struggle to keep up with population and infrastructure demands. But meeting those challenges – and excelling at them as a township – is the retiring administrator’s biggest source of pride.

His retirement comes at a time when citizen satisfaction levels are exceptional – up from 89 percent in 1990 to 95 percent in 2007. “Our research consultant tells us that this is two to three times the level of satisfaction found in comparable suburban communities. Citizens feel they’re getting what they pay for,” he said.

“I think a lot has to do with the quality of employees we hire and the commitment they have to providing services. Our employees treat citizens with respect. I almost never get a complaint about the way a citizen has been treated by an employee and they almost always say they were treated very well.”

Despite the challenges of fast-paced growth, the quality of development -- particularly single-family developments -- has remained high, he said. “I’m glad that people generally find this to be a desirable place to live. This is due in great part to the quality of services and the quality of township developments.”

To keep up with the needs of a growing community, Huff has overseen the expansion of every township department. Two notable examples are the expansion of classes and programs at the Washington Township Recreation Center and a convenient one-stop shop for zoning and building permits in the development services department.

During his years as administrator, Huff has been involved with the remodeling or renovation of seven township facilities. Three new fire stations and a new fire headquarters have been constructed and expansion projects have taken place at the Public Works/Development Services building, the Government Center, RecWest and Fire Station 45. As deputy administrator, he also was directly responsible for overseeing the remodeling of Town Hall Theatre.

In 1991, Huff was promoted from director of zoning and development to deputy administrator, with additional responsibilities in the areas of human resources, public information, special projects, and government center facilities and staff. In 1996, he became the township’s second administrator .

Huff will use retirement to spend more time with his grandchildren and to plan what he wants to do next. A career will have a place in his future, but he predicts that it will require fewer hours than that of a township administrator.

“It was a lot of work, but it was fun. In fact, the 24 years have just flown by,” he said. “It’s been a great place to work.”

Jesse Lightle is Named Third Township Administrator

Jesse Lightle will begin her duties February 1 as Washington Township’s third township administrator, marking the start of new administrative leadership and the end of a successful transition process.

As deputy administrator for the past 18 months, Lightle has been preparing for the administrator’s position, first overseeing fire and recreation services and then expanding into zoning and planning. During that time, she has had experience in all aspects of township operations.

“I’ve learned about the township from the departments inward. It’s given me firsthand knowledge about our staff, our facilities, and the services we provide,” she said. Lightle’s responsibilities have included major projects such as the recreation center’s transition to online registration and the fire department’s Strategic Plan Committee.

“Jesse has shown the ability to bring reasoned strategies to bear on a variety of issues and structure to the resolution of seemingly unstructured problems. She has an excellent work ethic and has shown true leadership, gaining the respect of department heads and staff very early on with a calm, yet confident demeanor,” said Terry Blair, president of the Washington Township Board of Trustees.

“Most important, Jesse understands full well the importance that the township places on customer service and our emphasis on efficiency and cost effectiveness,” he said. Her appointment was approved unanimously by Washington Township Trustees.

Lightle also is familiar with Washington Township as a resident for the past six years. “ Washington Township is one of the premiere places in the state to live and work because of its services and the quality of life it provides. I look forward to becoming even more involved in furthering that tradition,” she said.

Prior to joining the township, Lightle held the post of assistant city manager for the City of Clayton where her responsibilities included budget preparation, human resources, economic development and communications. She also served as assistant to the city manager for the City of Centerville from 2000 to 2005, worked for the Center for Urban and Public Affairs at Wright State University, and was an adjunct professor in the WSU Master of Public Administration Program.