By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
The city of Taylor Mill has made their choice on a Chief Administrative Officer to follow in Brian Haney’s footsteps.
Devon Golden, who has served as the CAO for the City of Georgetown for three years, accepted the job this week and will start as CAO in Taylor Mill on August 10.
Golden was chosen from among 34 candidates who heeded the call for a new CAO when Brian Haney announced his resignation. Commissioners narrowed the initial substantive amount of applications to four finalists, from which Golden was chosen.
Golden was born and raised in Wapakoneta, Ohio,and attended Georgetown College where she graduated in 2013 after studying political science and business management and playing basketball on the varsity women’s team. She was recruited by Georgetown for her basketball skills.
“I was looking at a number of schools, and I had never heard of Georgetown, or many Kentucky places, honestly,” she said. “But when I visited there, I really liked the small campus feel and that’s where I ended up for undergraduate.”
She went on to earn her Juris Doctor at the Northern Kentucky Chase College of Law in 2016.
The very next year she accepted a position with the city of Georgetown as Legal and Financial Specialist.
She moved into the city attorney position, which she kept for 4½ years, and then applied and was hired to be the Chief Administrative Officer.
“The invaluable experience and connections I’ve built here have prepared me well for the road ahead,” she said. Her last day at Georgetown will be August 7.
At Georgetown she assisted in the negotiation of sanitary sewer service crisis mitigation, which was successful, as well as securing funds for the Lexus Way extension and Lanes Run Business Park. She also formed key partnerships within the city to bring about solutions for economic development, affordable housing, and transportation, among other issues.
“I have been looking to make a career change,” she explained. “I have been able to develop really, really good relationships with a lot of the administrators here in Northern Kentucky. Obviously, in Northern Kentucky, among the three counties, there are so many cities with so much character and different unique characteristics, and I have really enjoyed meeting all the different administrators. So when the position came open, I thought it was a good opportunity to make that career move.”
She also said that with the strong unity of the administrators in the NKY area, she felt that this job will position her to succeed more immediately, and make a positive impact on the community.
Golden was impressed with her interview with Mayor Dan Bell and the Taylor Mill Commissioners, Caroline Braden, Dan Murray, Mark Kreimborg and Rose Merritt.
“I was impressed with the questions they asked,” she said. “It was an enjoyable interview. Taylor Mill has a commission who, all of them, have their own passions and priorities, things they want to see for the community, but as a body I really enjoyed the intentionality of their questions, and the clear, common goal of getting a new administrator to fill Brian’s (Haney) shoes, and pick up where he left off and continue community progress.”
Golden started her career in Georgetown with an emphasis on her legal abilities, but after 4½ years as city attorney, she moved into the job of Chief Administrative officer.
“When I took the attorney role, I got to understand what that opportunity was, and I’ve learned that in government it is truly an ‘all hands on deck’ situation, even in a larger city like Georgetown, where we have a more robust staff,” she explained. “When I was an attorney, I was doing a lot of elbow to elbow work with our city administrator, and it translated very well. I know a lot of administrators who are also attorneys, so it is interesting that so many folks who serve as attorneys end up in the city administrator role. I think it is an organic shift for someone who has that skill set, because you advise, and then sometimes end up managing projects, and people.”
Mayor Bell and the commissioners are happy with their choice of a Chief Administrative Officer.
“The City of Taylor Mill welcomes Devon Golden as our new CAO,” said Bell. “Devon has the perfect skill set to manage the current growth the city is experiencing. Devon has a vast experience which will provide a smooth transition. Her strong background in working with citizens, the business community, the county government, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and other cities will help in our city’s future economic development plans. Devon will provide stability and leadership to our city.”
Golden lives in Union with her wife, Katie, a three-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son, so her off work hours keep her hopping, but if she has free time, she is all about exercise, and being outdoors.
“I like to golf,” she said. “And I like going to the lake or the beach.”
Golden is very happy to be going to Taylor Mill and getting to know the city and all the residents.
“I am brushing up on the mechanics of how the mayor/commission type of government works, but that won’t take long,” she said. “I want to choose a couple days off before I start at Taylor Mill, but I am very excited about the new challenges for this next part of my career.”
Retiring CAO Haney is also satisfied with the choice.
“The city had several great prospects to choose from, and I did not envy the commission’s responsibility of deciding the one they felt would best serve the city,” Haney commented. “I am looking forward to working with Devon in a quick transition as I move on into my retirement.”