Christopher Hardesty hired as economic development director
CANTON – Christopher J. Hardesty, who previously worked in Mayor Thomas Bernabei's office, will be the city's next economic development director.
Bernabei announced Hardesty's hiring in a memo to City Council last week and asked members to vote Monday on an ordinance to waive the residency requirement for the position. Hardesty currently lives in Springfield Township and has been the community development administrator for Green since last summer.
Bernabei, describing Hardesty's qualifications to the council, said "he manages all economic development related activities" in Green, where he also served as treasurer of the Green Community Improvement Corporation. He said Hardesty's knowledge and enthusiasm impressed him during several interviews.
Other than elected officials, the city's service and safety directors and community development and economic development directors are required to live in the city, Bernabei said.
Before voting, Councilman Kevin D. Hall, D-6, said he wouldn't want to remove the residency requirement for everyone but understood the difficulty in finding a candidate for this position.
Bernabei agreed, saying such residency waivers are made on a "case-by-case" basis.
In a Tuesday news release, the mayor stated, "Chris has first-hand knowledge and experience in managing economic development tools and incentives. He previously worked in my office for almost four years and knows Canton and understands the economic development needs and challenges of the area. He has the personality and communication skills necessary to succeed."
Hardesty's first day will be June 13. He succeeds Eugene Norris, who worked for about six weeks before resigning in April. Norris took over from Fonda Williams, who served as the city's economic development director for about eight years.
Williams left in January to become the senior vice president of government affairs and economic development at the Economic and Community Development Institute Inc.
The council on Monday also gave Hardesty credit for being a city employee between 2017 and 2021 to offer him three weeks of vacation after his fifth full year of employment. Hardesty had several titles during his time with Canton, including community development manager, enterprise zone manager, and community reinvestment area housing officer.
He graduated from the University of Akron with a bachelor's degree in political science and criminal justice and a master's degree in political science - security studies. Hardesty also has a master's degree in business administration from Walsh University, according to the news release.
The city's economic development director is responsible for overseeing business retention, expansion and attraction programs as well as financial incentives and other economic development assistance.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Christopher Hardesty hired as Canton's economic development director
