Ferndale city manager to leave for Royal Oak

FERNDALE — Ferndale’s city manager will be moving on to a new job opportunity soon, leaving the city to begin the process of filling his shoes.

City Manager Joe Gacioch was selected by the Royal Oak City Commission to be Royal Oak’s next city manager. He has tendered his resignation with Ferndale, and his last day of work is scheduled for Dec. 6.

Gacioch came to Ferndale in 2012 when he was hired as a project and grant coordinator. He later went on to be the city’s chief innovation officer, followed by assistant city manager.

In 2019, he was hired as city manager. Over the last five years, Gacioch described his tenure as one that was influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That’s directly impacted about half of my tenure here,” he said. “What I’m most proud of is the workforce culture and really doing all the work to make sure that we could adapt quickly to the residents’ needs during that time period, making sure that there was no disruption really to our services, which we were pretty proud of.

“We didn’t really have any disruption to our services. I think we were a little bit ahead of our neighbors on that, and that’s something we were proud of. And then really leading on succession planning, making sure that we were intentional on trying to build organizational depth, which was needed and is still needed throughout all the industry turnover that you’re seeing today.”

Gacioch also stated that he was proud of his work with the Woodward Moves project and updating Ferndale’s facilities during his time as city manager, including the creation of a resident task force to detail the needs of facilities and laying the groundwork for funding new public safety facilities through an upcoming ballot proposal that, regardless of the vote, he is happy the need for updated buildings is understood in the community.

“The work done on facilities, from the first week I was hired, I had made comments that I wanted to be a city manager who could help move the needle on facilities. And I think that’s been generally accomplished,” he said.

Mayor Raylon Leaks-May stated that working with Gacioch has been a great experience and that he’s been a city manager who has cultivated new leadership and opportunities for both council members and community members.

“I’ve had a very positive working relationship with him for the past … five years or so,” she said. “He will be greatly missed, because I’ve learned a lot from him in my council role, and he’s been so helpful for me during my first year as mayor. It’s a new position and I’ve needed a lot of help, and he’s been a great, great person to kind of lean on and mentor me through the process.”

At the Ferndale City Council meeting on Oct. 28, which occurred after the Woodward Talk went to press, the council planned to review an item to hire the firm Vettraino Consulting to lead the search for the next city manager.

Vettraino Consulting has been used by Ferndale in the past in searches for high-level civic positions, including city manager and fire chief.

When it comes to the next city manager, Leaks-May said the candidate needs to recognize the importance of Ferndale’s culture.

“This person would have to be someone who is open-minded and accepting of all individuals,” she said. “That’s probably not on the application process, but that is something that I will be looking for. Also, this person would have to be someone that, again, provides and promotes opportunities for staff to kind of take on new things, new opportunities, and as well as encouraging council to take on new roles, to be open to listening to council’s direction …  just as Joe did, to be able to engage the community and trust them.”

When Gacioch came to Ferndale in 2012, he said, he was drawn to the city’s values and reputation, and that it was a place that led on principle.

For his part, Gacioch advised that whoever succeeds him as city manager needs to embrace that and meet the community members where they are, respect these principles and be a good listener.

“I’d say we’ve built a work culture that echoes how the community values those principles,” he said. “That’s progressive, equitable, sustainable principles. Those things are really important to the community. And it’s not just something they put on paper. It’s something that they will tell you is important to them, and so respect that and make sure that you’re always mindful in that and how you lead.”