County
Manager Jim Dinneen was so eager to begin tackling the rigors of
managing Volusia County that he said he couldn’t wait to begin. So
he didn’t.
While Dinneen formally took the reins
as Volusia County’s fourth County Manager April 3, he spent a great
deal of time studying local issues and attending various
meetings before his contract began, all in anticipation of getting
off to a fast start. That he did.
Having
vowed to spend a fair amount of time out of the office to acquaint
himself with the region, he began his tenure on day-one by attending
a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Ocean Design, Inc. The manufacturer of
undersea electronic and fiber optic gear, welcomed government, the
news media and community leaders for a tour of its new complex. The
event particularly was gratifying for local officials since Ocean
Design chose to remain in Volusia County and grow the company here
despite overtures from other communities to change its corporate
address.
Bringing
in new jobs is just one of the challenges Dinneen faces as Volusia
County Manager. Issues involving growth and development, the
environment, relations between city and county governments,
duplication of services, the cost of county government and more
await his attention.
“These challenges are complex and will
require the participation and cooperation of many people,” said
Dinneen. “But this is a wonderful community with many leaders who
are not afraid to roll up their sleeves to find solutions. I believe
that ‘can do’ attitude will be the key to our success in the years
ahead.”
Dinneen puts a premium on
collaboration. During his time as City Manager of Dayton, Ohio, and
in other positions he held in Montgomery County, Ohio, he was
instrumental in bringing the leaders from 28 cities, towns and
villages together to identify and address common problems. Together
they found a way to save money on healthcare costs for public
employees and found other challenges they could address
collaboratively.
Another hallmark of Dinneen’s
leadership is continuity. His 31-year career in public service has
been spent almost entirely in Montgomery County, having held various
city and county positions. That resonated with members of the
Volusia County Council as they reviewed credentials of candidates
from across the nation.
“We’ve found the best professional to manage Volusia County,” said
Volusia County Chair Frank Bruno. “Jim is regarded highly in Ohio
and is considered a visionary manager. He’s big on fiscal
responsibility, controlling the size of government and
collaboration. He understands the challenges we face in Volusia
County and, if history is any indication, he is well equipped to
help us deal with them.”
Dinneen’s accomplishments in Ohio include the resolution of Dayton’s
fiscal crisis; the development of a $30-million county criminal
justice and administrative services master plan; development of
organizational management efforts to reduce costs and increase
service delivery; oversight of design, bidding and construction of a
downtown RiverScape Park; organization of 28 governments on solid
waste management; implementation of $37 million in county waste
transfer facilities; successful negotiation of various labor
contracts; coordination of the mechanization of basic public
services and more.
Dinneen,
56, holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Public Administration
degrees from the University of Dayton. He also holds a Master of
Urban and Regional Planning degree from Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University and is a graduate of Leadership
Dayton and the Harvard Executive Leadership Program. He is now a
resident of Ponce Inlet.
