Vivian Moon wrote: City manager candidate sees ‘opportunities’here  MIDDLETOWN — Cathy Davison, a former city manager in Steubenville, Ohio, sees a lot of potential in Middletown.     She also has visited Middletown several times, read theJournal-News and the Internet, and said oneof the biggest hurdles for the government is to be more transparent.

Middletown government???  More transparent???  BWA HA HA HA HA!!!    

Actually, this is kind of sad.   

Ms. Davison's application is certainly already in the trash can.

Updated: 5:39 p.m. Monday, May 12, 2014 | Posted: 4:27 p.m. Monday, May 12, 2014

City manager candidate sees ‘opportunities’here

By Rick McCrabb

Staff Writer

    MIDDLETOWN — Cathy Davison, a former city manager in Steubenville, Ohio, sees a lot of potential in Middletown.

    “There are so many opportunities there eventhough the city that has been through some hardships,” said Davison, one of thefive candidates for city manager.

    When asked about whether the city shouldconcentrate its efforts in the East End, near I-75 and Atrium Medical Center, or downtown, Davisonsaid economic development will occur in the East End “naturally” because ofthe health care cluster. For downtown to be successful, she said, internationalcompanies must be recruited to “repopulate” the empty shops.

    Davison said she has the experience andeducation needed to move the city “forward.”

    She also has visited Middletown several times, read theJournal-News and the Internet, and said oneof the biggest hurdles for the government is to be more transparent.  vcm: I hopeshe takes a peek at our accounting system before she leaves town. It sure coulduse a good cleaning up within the next year.

    The other four finalists are: Doug Adkins,community revitalization director for the city; Les Landen, Middletown law director; JaneHowington, city manager, Newport, R.I.; and Willie Norfleet,city manager, Socorro, Texas.

    City manager Judy Gilleland announced herretirement earlier this year and her last day is set for June 6, though she maystay longer to make the transition easier. The city received 29 applicants forthe position and the field was narrowed to five, said Noah Powers, the city’shuman resource manager. All five candidates will participate in interviewsFriday and Saturday with members of the community and City Council.

Thepublic portion of the forum will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the City Council chambers in the basement ofthe City Building.

    Since August 2013, Davison has served asfinancial director of Urban Ministries Inc. and adjunct faculty at Eastern Gateway Community College in Steubenville.

    For more than three years, she served ascity manager in Steubenville, with a population of19,000 and an annual operating budget of $40.8 million. Her other dutiesincluded: budget preparation and financial management, public informationofficer, public and press relations, ballot issue campaign organization andmanagement and labor negotiations.

    While in Steubenville, she said, she negotiated union collective bargainingagreements and managed labor relations contracts.

    In her current position, she handles thefinances for a soup kitchen, homeless shelter and neighborhood developmentcenter that serves a population of 60,000.

    She owns a bachelor’s degree in politicalscience from Anderson University, master’s degree inorganizational leadership from the University of Denver and a master’s inpublic administration from Norwich University.

Allthis week the Journal-News is profiling the five candidates for the citymanager position. Here are the days those profiles will appear in the newspaperand on-line:

TODAY:Cathy Davison

WEDNESDAY:Doug Adkins

THURSDAY:Jane Howington

FRIDAY:Les Landen

SATURDAY:Willie Norfleet