Kettering city manager candidate set to take Tennessee job

Nick Blizzard, Dayton Daily News, Ohio
Updated ·2 min read

Oct. 3—A candidate who interviewed for the Kettering city manager's job will be considered for a position Wednesday in Tennessee.

Cape Girardeau, Mo. Deputy City Manager Molly Mehner has accepted an offer to become the new town administrator for Collierville, Tenn., according to the Southeast Missourian.

Mehner called the move "a great opportunity that I just can't pass up," according to the publication's report.

Collierville's board of mayor and aldermen will consider the appointment Wednesday afternoon in a special meeting, the town's website states.

"Kettering wishes Ms. Mehner all the best in her new endeavor," the city said in an email Monday. "There are no updates regarding the current recruitment process for city manager."

Collierville is a southeast suburb in the Memphis metropolitan area with a population of 51,324, about 5,000 fewer than Kettering, according to the 2020 in the census.

Mehner was one of four candidates interviewed by Kettering City Council in a search to succeed longtime Kettering City Manager Mark Schwieterman, who is stepping down after 16 years in that role when his contract expires at the end of December.

Others, all from Ohio, included:

—Kettering Assistant City Manager Steve Bergstresser.

—Worthington City Manager Matt Greeson.

—Franklin County Deputy Administrator Erik Janas.

All four candidates interviewed with Kettering City Council for about two hours each Sept. 8-10, officials said.

The search was then on hold until at least late September as Kettering Mayor Peggy Lehner took a planned trip, according to the city. Lehner said in August the city's goal was to make a job offer in October.

Kettering's council met Sept. 27 in execution session after a scheduled meeting. The next day, in statements from the city to this news organization, Lehner said a decision regarding the city manager search will be made soon.

"We understand and appreciate that people are eager for a decision to be reached, and we are taking every step to ensure we make the right one," Lehner said. "We have some further investigation to do, and we will make a decision as soon as possible."

"Given the importance of this decision to our community we will make a public announcement as soon as we have completed all due diligence and notified our staff," she added.

Schwieterman, 57, announced earlier this year his decision to leave the city, where he has been city manager since 2006 and has worked for 33 years.